Control the Body, Avoid the Sin
by Saintsavory
Summary: The reverse of Liminal Space, but not at all similar storyline.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I did not include a summary of the story for fear of revealing too much in chapter one. As always, this story is complete and I'll post a chapter every day or every couple of days. Hope you enjoy this story!

* * *

Graduate school had always been in the cards for her, but she never thought it would be in Education. Piper Chapman hadn't considered teaching until her junior year at Smith when she reluctantly admitted that her parents were right: making a living as a writer was an implausible dream. One of her professors had convinced Piper to give student teaching a shot, and she discovered that it wasn't all that bad. If she decided to be a teacher, she'd have summers and weekends off, plus she'd benefit from long winter and spring breaks when she could write until her heart was content. What Piper _didn't_ expect was having to teach at the high school level the Fall after graduating from Smith.

Although she'd been accepted at both NYU and the University of New England for grad school, Piper chose the latter. After spending four years in Northampton, she'd grown accustomed to life in a rural town, and she worried that if she went to NYU to pursue her studies, the bright lights and constant action in Manhattan would distract her.

Piper was in no rush to finish her Master's degree—she was content to complete the coursework in a year and a half, because she wanted to test the waters a bit more in the classroom. She applied for a part-time job as a third grade teacher; however, she found out in late July that the school hired someone with more classroom experience. The unfortunate news bothered Piper more than she thought it might, and she discovered that she genuinely wanted to teach sooner rather than later, so she scrambled to find another teaching job near the university. As luck would have it, the local private high school had an opening for a part-time Humanities teacher.

Piper had spent many summers in coastal Maine as a child, visiting her grandmother and attending summer camp during her formative years. Her father hadn't sold the home he grew up in, making it the perfect option for Piper to live while she worked on her Master's and taught at Newton School. The house was built in the early 1900s, and the creaking and settling sounds it often made frightened Piper those first couple of weeks. It was a large and drafty house, too, which took some getting used to, especially on windy nights. Nevertheless, Piper had fond memories of her time with her grandmother in that house, and she allowed those happy memories to comfort her in times of distress.

Since sophomore year in college, Piper realized that she worked best in a lively environment. Unlike some of her classmates who needed total silence to study, Piper needed ambient sounds to keep her focused. She'd set out a week ago to find the ideal coffee shop in the small town of Biddeford, but until arriving at The Muddy Cup, Piper had struck out.

"What can I get you?" A dark haired girl turned a dial on the La Marzocco, causing it to release a burst of steam.

"Drip coffee, please." Piper reached for her wallet.

The barista wiped a silver valve with a rag, and then turned her attention to Piper. "Anything to eat?" The girl was striking—long, jet black hair that matched the rim of her glasses, thick lips and broad shoulders. Piper wondered if she was a student at the university.

She peered into a two-tiered glass case. "Are those scones baked here?"

The barista glanced up briefly, and then tapped a few buttons on the register. "Yeah."

"I'll try the blueberry one."

"Anything else?"

She pulled out a $10 bill and slid it along the wooden countertop. "No, thanks."

"That'll be $5.50" The girl pulled a scone out of the display case with a pair of tongs. "Is this for here or to go?"

"Here, please."

"They're better when they're warm." The barista placed the scone on a yellow plate. "Microwave's over there next to the cream and sugar."

"Ok, thanks."

The barista poured the drip coffee into a ceramic mug. "Enjoy."

"Thank you." She tried balancing the plate on her arm and taking the coffee mug in the other hand, but Piper hadn't put her wallet back into her bag, making the task almost impossible. "Would you mind…?"

The girl grinned, and then scooted around the counter, standing in front of a small table. "Is this ok?"

Piper placed the mug on the table. "Perfect."

"Refills are free, so…" She tucked a strand of dark hair behind her ear. "Just wave if you want more."

Piper sat down, smile creeping onto her face as she eyed the barista. "I'll be here for a while, so I'll take you up on a refill."

The girl stepped behind the counter and took an older man's complicated order.

Although graduate school wouldn't begin for a couple of weeks, Piper had already purchased the textbooks for both of her classes. She'd always performed best when she pursued scholarly books prior to her first lesson, and knowing grad school would be even more difficult than her undergraduate experience, she wanted to get a head start on the reading. She pulled out one of the thick textbooks and a legal pad, and alternated between nibbling on the scone and drinking the Ethiopian blend.

The reading for her first grad school class, _Individual and Societal Development_ , was dense to say the least. (She was hoping the material would get more entertaining as she reached upper-level coursework.) After reading two chapters, Piper decided she'd take a break from grad school stuff and focus on the syllabi that she needed to create for the Humanities courses she'd teach at the high school. She reached into her bag and pulled out three paperbacks.

"More coffee?" The barista appeared next to the table with a coffee pot in hand.

She appeared to be in her early 20s, and her skin, Piper noted, was flawless. Despite it being late August when most young women sported tans or sunburns, the barista's cheeks were only the slightest shade of pink, probably more from the steam from the espresso machine than the sun.

Piper took the last sip of coffee, and then set her mug down. "Sure, thanks."

"I haven't seen you in here before," the dark haired girl commented. "New in town?"

"I'm starting grad school at the University of New England in a couple weeks." Piper wiped crumbs onto the yellow plate. "I spent summers here when I was younger, but I don't remember this coffee shop."

"It's been open for four or five years—used to be an insurance agency or something." The barista filled the mug to the brim, then twisted her head to read the cover of one of the paperbacks on the table. "That's a good one."

"Which one?" Piper held up two of the novels. " _A High Wind in Jamaica_ or _Native_ _Son_?"

" _Native Son_ , but _A High Wind in Jamaica_ wasn't bad." She glanced at the other books. "Those seem a little basic for grad school."

"They would be." Piper let out a soft chuckle and put the books down. "I'm teaching part-time."

"Ah. What grade?"

"Two sections of seniors and one of sophomores." She took a sip of coffee.

The barista placed her fingertips on the third novel, turning it to read the title. "I hope every kid has read _The Lord of the Flies_ by the time they've reached puberty."

"Too rudimentary?"

"Probably." The girl shrugged. "Then again, most high school students spend more time playing video games and Snap Chatting than reading."

"That's what I'm afraid of," she sighed.

A group of teenagers walked in, and the barista gave Piper a knowing look and a slight eye-roll. "Duty calls." She walked back behind the counter, leaving Piper intrigued by her interest in literature.

* * *

Over the next week, Piper returned to The Muddy Cup every morning, hoping to converse with the attractive barista. The second time she ventured inside, the dark haired girl wasn't there, but the third time, Piper was pleasantly surprised to see her with her nose in a book behind the counter.

"Hi."

The barista looked up and grinned. "Hey, you're back."

She glanced around the well-lit coffee shop. "This is a comfortable place to work, and I like not supporting corporate America."

"I was never a Starbucks fan myself." The barista reached for a mug. "Drip coffee, right?"

"Yeah, thanks." Piper tapped her fingertips on the counter as she watched the girl move with efficiency.

"I'll make a fresh pot in a minute." She poured the last of the dark liquid into the cup, and then filled the vessel with water. "How's the syllabus coming along?"

"Not bad, but I should've probably finished it already, considering school starts on Monday." Piper placed $5 on the counter.

"Here's hoping today's the day." She handed her $3.50 back. "No scone today?"

She shook her head and leaned closer. "It wasn't very fresh."

"Sorry to hear that." The barista licked her lips, seemingly trying to avoid a smile as she said conspiratorially, "They're not really baked here."

"I figured as much." She stretched out a hand. "I'm Piper, by the way."

"Nice to meet you," the barista wiped her hands on her apron, and then shook her hand. "Alex."

"You, too." Piper walked to the same table she'd sat at each time she went to The Muddy Cup and tried concentrating on the syllabus, but it was difficult to stay focused as she watched Alex buzz around the small space. She had on a green t-shirt that hung off one shoulder, and Piper was drawn to her creamy, exposed skin.

Alex seemed mildly annoyed by the customers who came in with their double-shot, non-fat soy latte orders, but when no one was waiting for a drink or a baked good, she had her nose buried in _Persepolis_.

"What happened to the great customer service I experienced last time?"

"Sorry," Alex raised her eyes. "More coffee?"

She pushed her mug towards the barista. "What do you think of that book for seniors?"

" _Persepolis_?"

Piper nodded.

"It's good." She pushed the paperback aside. "You're a lit teacher?"

"Humanities, actually." Piper grabbed the cup, their fingers briefly touching. "In case you haven't guessed, this will be my first year as a teacher."

"I never would've known." Alex smirked and put her hands in her back pockets. " _Persepolis_ would probably be a good choice since it combines history, geography and literature."

"I'll consider it." She smiled. "Are you in college?"

"Me? No." Alex released a short chuckle. "I just read a lot."

Piper returned to her table and wondered about Alex's life. Did her parents own the coffee shop? Did she drop out of college? Had she even _gone_ to college? Although she hadn't confirmed Alex's sexual preference at that point, she had an inkling that she was gay just by the way she moved.

Piper had been with her fair share of girls _and_ guys over the course of her life, but during her last two years at Smith, she'd become primarily attracted to girls. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate a man's body; it was that girls were soft and smooth in all the right places. Their tongues were more talented, their faces didn't have prickly whiskers, and their hands were gentler. The way women had sex was far more intimate than being penetrated by a penis. Not that she didn't like penetration—just not by the male organ.

She considered asking Alex to dinner to discuss their favorite novels, but before Piper had the nerve to approach her, she was interrupted by a phone call from her father that she simply had to take. By the time the call was over, so was Alex's shift. Replacing her behind the counter was a lanky boy with rolled up shirtsleeves and pegged jeans.

That Friday morning, Piper returned to The Muddy Cup to put the final touches on her syllabi and to read another couple of chapters of her graduate school textbook. She waited in line behind a college-aged girl who appeared to be flirting with Alex. Piper stepped to the side, in hopes of Alex seeing her and wrapping up the conversation with College Girl, but her attempt was unsuccessful. Alex laughed at whatever comment College Girl made and appeared in no rush to complete her order.

Since no one was behind her, Piper ambled over to the bulletin board on the far wall to check out the multitude of flyers, edges curling up as the air conditioner hit them. She hadn't noticed music playing in the background before, but there was a low, muffled sound coming from a speaker at the other end of the coffee shop. It was precisely the kind of music one would expect in a college town coffee shop; in fact, Piper recognized the musician as one she'd heard at The Red Saucer, her favorite place in Northampton.

Though she knew she'd be busy with teaching and graduate school, Piper figured it wouldn't be a bad idea to get involved with some kind of fun or inspirational activity in Biddeford. She glanced at a flyer about a poker tournament, and then another, advertising a weekend hiking club. There was one colorful page tacked to the bulletin board with a picture of a woman strumming a guitar. Piper lifted the corner and read the small print.

"Don't let her name fool you."

She glanced to her right, where Alex had suddenly appeared.

A small smile cracked on Piper's face. " _Kitty Kittatas_?"

"She's a killer guitarist and lyricist." Alex's eyes drifted down to meet Piper's. "She plays here every month."

She released the flyer and looked up at the slightly taller barista. "What kind of music?"

"Her original stuff leans toward folk, but if you close your eyes, you'd swear you were listening to Alanis Morissette; Kitty's just not as hot as Alanis."

"Not many women are." Piper hoisted her bag higher on her shoulder, cheeks burning at the confirmation that Alex was more than likely gay. "I'll have to check her out tonight."

Alex grinned and nudged her glasses. "I'll save you a seat."

There was something about the other woman that Piper found downright sexy, and the thought of sitting close to Alex, listening to live music, turned her on.

"Want some coffee?" Alex walked back behind the counter.

"Yes, thank you. You seemed busy earlier." She looked around the room, but didn't see College Girl in the coffee shop.

"That was Jerri. If you hang out here more often, you'll get to know her." She wiped the counter with a damp rag. "Drip?"

"Please. Local celebrity?"

That caused a burst of laughter. "More like local lesbian with slutty tendencies."

Piper's eyes shot open. "Oh." Her pulse quickened as she pressed on. "Have _you_ hooked up with her?"

Alex's eyes met hers, smile slowly fading, as she poured the dark liquid into a mug. "A while ago, yeah."

"So, if I ever get lonely and desperate…" she let the phrase hang in the air as she reached for her cup.

"Jerri's your girl," Alex finished, grin returning. "But I think you could do much better."

She lifted the mug, hoping to hide the blush that slowly crept up her neck and onto her cheeks.

"Hey, Alex—we've got a spill over here!" a man called from a table near the door. "You might need the mop."

The barista peeked around Piper as both women eyed the mess. "Fuck. I've got to clean this up, and then I'm out of here. My shift ends at 11."

"What time does Kitty start?"

"Seven." Alex grabbed a mop and bucket, and then walked to the area of spilled coffee. "This is why we have lids," she said to the man, who laughed and apologized for his toddler's antics.

Piper put the final touches on her syllabi, though it took her far longer than necessary as her mind kept drifting to Alex. She was eager to spend time with her when she wasn't working, and she wondered how her demeanor might change in a more casual setting. By the time Piper left the coffee shop, Alex had also disappeared.

Piper had a new faculty meeting at school that day, plus she had errands to run afterwards, so she figured by the time she got home to shower and change, it would be close to 7 o'clock. She was thankful to have a busy day ahead of her so as to keep her thoughts about the barista at bay.

* * *

The Muddy Cup had been well-lit every time Piper had frequented the coffee shop in the late morning hours, but in the evening, the interior looked remarkably different. Floor lamps radiating golden hues replaced the overhead lights, and the wooden tables were covered with tie-dyed tablecloths. In place of the four tables in the L-shaped part of the room was a sofa, loveseat and two oversized chairs.

"There's a $10 cover," the hipster barista announced from his perch on a stool.

"Oh, sorry." She reached into her purse.

"Don't worry about it, Chet." Alex walked around the corner and greeted Piper with a soft smile. "I got it."

"Thank you." She smiled at Alex, who was dressed a little more upscale than when she worked behind the counter. "His name is _Chet_?" she whispered.

Alex chuckled and led Piper over to the L-shaped area with a hand on her lower back. "I'm sure it's a fake name. His real one is probably Ben or Bob or something equally boring."

She snorted. "He's the very definition of hipster."

She held her hand out towards the loveseat, which had a handwritten 'reserved' sign on it. "Want a drink?"

Piper was keenly aware of Alex's hand, still lightly pressing against her lower back. "Is this for us?"

"I tried to get the sofa, but Bob beat me to it. I think he has a crush on Kitty."

"The loveseat is fine." She smiled again. "Does this place serve alcohol in the evenings?"

"No," she answered. "By _drink_ , I meant something with froth or whipped cream instead of your usual drip coffee."

"Sounds like you're asking me to walk on the wild side…" Piper chuckled, enjoying their light banter. "I don't know about that."

"You're onto me." Alex removed the 'reserved' sign and walked behind the counter. "I'll make you something yummy."

She watched Kitty Kittatas tune her guitar as other patrons sipped their drinks in the comfortable chairs near the makeshift stage. Piper liked this place and would be happy to one day be considered a regular. She was also becoming fond of the barista and was looking forward to getting to know her more intimately.

Alex returned with a mocha Frappuccino, topped with a dollop of whipped cream and caramel sauce.

"No cherry on top?" Piper asked as she watched Alex lick the sauce that dribbled down her finger.

She sat next to Piper on the narrow loveseat. "Sorry, we're all out of cherries."

"Good evening, everyone," Kitty breathed into the microphone. She sat on the stool and tossed her curly red hair over one shoulder. "Thank you for coming out this evening. I've got a few new songs I want to try tonight." Kitty strummed the guitar until she found the right chord. "We'll start with this one. It's called, 'Love on the Other Side.' It's about how I fell in love with someone who lived in Hong Kong—literally on the other side of the world. Hope you like it."

Piper turned her body fully towards the singer, but she was keenly aware of Alex's presence next to her. She smelled sweet like butterscotch, and Piper wondered if she'd taste like that, too.

The song started out slow and melodic, but when she reached the chorus, Kitty's voice belted out in a way that betrayed her small stature. Alex was right—she sounded like a cross between Alanis Morissette and Eva Cassidy, and her smooth voice sent shivers throughout Piper's body. She looked up at Alex, who raised her eyebrows, leaned closer and whispered, "Told you."

Piper mouthed, _wow_ , and then returned her attention to the stage. When the song was over, the 20 or so people in the room clapped and hollered their appreciation.

"You liked that one?" Kitty laughed. "Good, good. Thank you."

Piper hadn't listened to live music since her junior year at Smith, and even then, it was a shitty performance by a college band in a venue with horrible acoustics. She'd forgotten how mesmerizing live performances could be, and even though it was only the singer and her guitar on the small stage, her messaging was powerful. Piper also appreciated that the people who were at The Muddy Cup that night were there to listen to good music and support a local musician. In college, half of the audience showed up to either get drunk or hook up—the music was just background.

Kitty sang another four original ballads, followed by a gorgeous rendition of George Michael's _Father Figure_ before taking a short break.

"Want another drink?" Alex stood and held her hand out to take the now empty glass.

"Any more caffeine and I'll be bouncing off the walls." Piper crumbled her napkin and put it into the glass. "I'll take some water if you don't mind."

"Be right back."

She surveyed the crowd around her, noticing that most of the people in the room were women, some of whom seemed to be on dates. Piper wondered if The Muddy Cup was a lesbian coffee shop (if there was such a thing.) There _were_ several guys in the room, though, two of whom looked to be on dates with young, professionally dressed women.

Alex returned, tucking one leg under her as she sat down. Piper got a good whiff of sweetness as Alex plopped onto the loveseat, and her eyes automatically drifted to Alex's lips. She was convinced that Alex would taste like bitter coffee and buttery caramel.

"Here you go." She handed Piper a glass of ice water. "Enjoying Kitty's performance so far?"

"She's better than I expected." She took a long sip of water and was determined to learn more about the woman next to her. "So, Alex, what do you do when you're not working here or enjoying live music?"

"I have two jobs, actually." She took a swig of raspberry iced tea. "When I leave the coffee shop, I usually head to the second-hand bookstore on the other side of town."

"I thought I'd been to all the bookstores in Biddeford." Piper creased her brow, turning to face her more fully.

"Second Stop Books is on the border of Biddeford and Saco—not an area where college students typically hang out." She raised her eyeglasses to the top of her head, and despite how dim the room was, Piper noticed her hazel eyes for the first time. "I don't know how the store stays open, actually. On any given day, we might have 10 or 12 customers. I guess the ones who come in typically buy a shit load of books, so there's that." She took another sip and shrugged. "I don't mind though—I get paid to read all fucking day."

Piper smiled. "Sounds like a good gig to me."

Kitty returned to the tiny stage and covered _Jolene_ and an Alanis Morissette song, both which brought the audience to their feet. The performance lasted until just prior to 9 o'clock, at which time Alex announced that she'd have to clean up and get things in order for what was sure to be a busy Saturday morning at the coffee shop.

Piper strapped her purse over one shoulder, sorry that the evening had come to an end. "This was fun. Thank you for encouraging me to come."

"I'm glad you enjoyed it." There was a long pause before Alex spoke again, and Piper could almost see the wheels turning in her head. "Next weekend, there's a big art show in the park. Give me your number, and I'll text you the details. Maybe we could meet up there on Saturday afternoon."

"Yeah, I saw the flyer about it." Piper jutted her chin towards the bulletin board. "I'd like that." She jotted her number down on the back of a coaster and handed it to her.

Alex flipped the coaster over in her hand, and Piper admired her long fingers. "I guess I'll see you around."

"Definitely. Thanks again." Piper backed out of the L-shaped room, waving to her new friend as she exited the coffee house.

She followed the sidewalk along Grant Street, passed the local public school and down six more blocks to her grandmother's house near the water. She didn't typically walk to and from The Muddy Cup, but the summer air was cool against her skin as she made the mile-long trek back home. Piper couldn't stop smiling as she hummed a few bars of Alanis Morissette's _That I Would Be Good_ and thought about seeing Alex the following weekend. Part of her was glad that she didn't ask for Alex's number, because she wouldn't have been able to delay texting her another day. Piper was sure they'd made a connection that had the potential to extend past friendship, and she was looking forward to finding out how soon _more-than-friends_ might come.

* * *

Monday was upon her before she knew it, and Piper was more nervous than she thought she'd be on that first day of school. She knew she looked too young to be a teacher, so she'd have to find a way to garner the students' respect from the start. Piper had no problem establishing herself in front of the sophomores, but the seniors were a little harder to convince that she was in charge.

She called roll, and then introduced the syllabus, explaining why certain books were on the list and laying down the groundwork for what she hoped would be a productive year. Two boys walked in three minutes late, but Piper let it slide on the first day. When the third student walked in five minutes after that, Piper knew she'd need to make a hard stance on attendance.

"Most of the learning you'll do this semester will be in this room, so I expect you to show up **on time** every day," she began, pacing in front of the room. "You'll have a quiz every week at the beginning of class on any day I choose, and if you're late, you won't get the opportunity to make it up. I suggest you figure out a way to be in your seat by the time the quiz hits your desk."

As a few students gulped and nodded, the door opened a third time. Piper spun around, ready to give the now 15-minute tardy student a stern lecture, but when she saw who walked in, she dropped her pen and felt the blood rush out of her face.

" _Alex_?"


	2. Chapter 2

" _Alex_?"

Piper was sure she heard students snickering as she eyed the tall, bespectacled girl. Her mouth went dry and she felt sweat begin to prickle her forehead like tiny pushpins tapping her skin. Surely Alex was another teacher—not a _student_ in her class. However, if that were true, it would seem curious that Alex was wearing tight jeans, Dr. Martens and a wrinkled black t-shirt that read, _Explanation Kills Art_.

" _Piper?_ " Alex held her gaze for a couple of seconds, eyebrows creased and lips forming a straight line. She looked away, but remained standing with her hand clutching the doorknob.

"Do you two, like, know each other?" A boy in the middle of the room asked, eyes darting from the teacher to the tardy student.

"This can't…I can't…" Piper stuttered as she shook her head. "I need..."

She shoved past Alex and entered the hallway, not bothering to shut the classroom door behind her. She covered her face with her hands and leaned back hard against a set of lockers. Her pulse quickened and she saw twinkle lights as her vision blurred. Piper squeezed her eyes shut as her fingers trailed down her cheeks and neck. She tried to take deep, steadying breaths, but it was no use—she thought she might vomit. The classroom door shut, and Piper jumped, head twisting to the left.

Alex stepped in front of her. "I knew you were a teacher, but I had no idea it was at _my_ school!"

"What the _hell_ , Alex?" Piper whisper-yelled. "You didn't think it was relevant to tell me you were _still in high school_?"

"No!" She shook her head vigorously. "I fucking hate this place anyway. If I could, I'd get my GED and be done with it."

"I…we…" Piper was at a loss for words. She looked at the floor, and then back up at Alex. "I can't believe this." She paced in front of the lockers. "You have my _number_ …we were going to go _out_ , and you're my _fucking_ _student_?"

Alex glanced away.

"I need to get myself under control," she said to herself as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I need to go back into that classroom as if nothing ever happened."

"I like you, Piper." She folded her arms. "It doesn't have to be this way."

"You _like_ me?" Piper's eyes bulged as she turned on her heel to face the student. _Fuck Alex_ for smelling so good. "What am I supposed to do with that? We… _this_ …cannot happen." She pointed a finger between them. Piper felt lightheaded and her vision blurred again.

"You don't look so good." Alex took a step closer, steadying Piper with a hand on her elbow.

"Don't touch me." Piper took a few more calming breaths and pulled away, elbow tingling from the contact. "We can't touch, _ever_."

Alex raised her hands. "I'm just going to walk away."

She set her jaw. "That would be good."

Alex took a few steps backwards, and with each step, Piper's breathing slowed.

When Alex turned the corner, Piper reached for the doorknob, only then realizing that she'd been trembling for the last few minutes. _You can do this. Just go back inside._

"Sorry about that." Piper smoothed her hands down her pencil skirt as she stepped into the room with a forced smile. "Where were we?"

"So, if we're absent, can we make up the quizzes?" A girl in the front row asked, successfully bringing Piper back to the task at hand.

"No," she replied, and then continued to explain how they'd work in groups for two major projects. As the minutes ticked on, she felt less anxious. If she could make it through the day without seeing Alex, she'd have time to figure out a plan later that night.

* * *

Making it through her first day as a 22-year-old teacher was _painful_. She didn't see Alex again that day and hoped beyond all hope that she'd decide to get her GED or transfer to another school. Piper didn't know how she'd make it even a week with Alex in her class. The first problem was that they'd already established a relationship, as innocent as it was at that point. The second was that there was no denying that she was attracted to Alex—she couldn't very well teach a student who she found stunning.

Piper went home, poured a giant glass of wine, and plopped on her sofa with a panicky sigh. She'd been a week away from going on a date with _one of her students_. What if they would've met at the art show and something would've happened between them? She felt sick to her stomach, knowing that the girl she'd made a connection with was _a fucking senior in high schoo_ l.

She powered on her laptop and searched the school schedule to see if there was another class that Alex could transfer into—at least if they were in the same school, Piper wouldn't have to be her teacher. However, there were only two sections of Humanities, and Piper taught both. Maybe with the passage of time, things would be less awkward, and they could have an inspiring teacher/student relationship. Piper _had_ to focus on that; otherwise, she'd need to quit her first professional job.

The rest of the week, Alex skipped Humanities class. Piper noticed her name on the attendance list for most of her other classes, but she didn't set foot in the room for that particular class. On Friday, Piper thought she'd successfully escaped having to teach her pupil, but Alex showed up and took the only empty desk in the room.

The two avoided eye contact as much as possible as Piper led the discussion about _Native Son_.

She tapped an Expo marker against her open palm, ready to write key phrases on the whiteboard.

"What was Max trying to tell the court when he says that _fear and hate and guilt are the keynotes of this drama_?"

One of the students raised his hand.

"I've explained this—no need to raise your hand in here. Just shout out your answer and be respectful of talking too much." She slowly paced in front of the room, waiting for a student to chime in.

The same boy who'd raised his hand cleared his throat. "That even though they were in court, it was playing out like a dramatic film?"

Alex snorted.

Piper raised her eyebrows and turned to face the student. "Do you have something to add?"

"No." Alex slouched further in her desk.

"No?"

She toyed with the cord of her headphones, dangling around her neck. "Nope."

"I find that hard to believe." Piper tried to be firm and fair. "You _did_ read the book, right?"

She looked away, seemingly perturbed, and remained silent.

Piper took a few more steps until she was near the door, not realizing that she'd been backing up since the conversation with Alex had begun. "Alex, what was Max trying to tell the court?"

The bell rang.

Piper raised her hands. "No one is going anywhere until someone answers the question." She bit hard on her back teeth, hoping that if she could engage Alex _this one time_ , things would get easier in the future.

A curly haired girl shoved Alex. "Answer her!"

Finally, Alex rolled her eyes and sat up. "Max was trying to infer that the fear and guilt of the nation was the driving force of racism in the country. It was also the wider societal reason Bigger was in his current predicament. The sensational aspects of the trial are all related to the larger context of whites versus blacks during the Depression."

Piper's face twitched at the student's astute observation. " _Exactly_."

"Can we go now?" A boy asked, slinging his backpack over one shoulder.

"Yes, you can." She blinked several times, unable to pull her eyes away from Alex. "Would you mind staying in the room for just a minute?"

Alex's sigh was audible as she stood and gathered her things. She walked to the front of the classroom, shoving one of the earbuds in her ear. Alex raised her eyebrows expectantly but didn't speak.

"Thank you for humoring me."

She huffed. "I'm not here to humor you or to teach the class."

Piper stood taller. "I'm not saying you are."

"Look, I'm going to skip this class as much as the administration will allow," Alex began, taking a step closer. "If you want to give me quizzes, go for it. I've read every book on your syllabus, and I could write a synopsis about each one. I don't care what grade I get, but you don't get to make me your literary savant in front of the class."

She folded her arms. "I can challenge you if you let me, Alex."

"Ha!" She laughed incredulously. " _That_ question was challenging?"

"No one else knew the answer," Piper stated plainly. "We got off on the wrong foot. I think I can make you a more analytical reader, and _I know_ you can make me a better teacher. Can we please put aside the past and try to have a normal teacher/student relationship?"

Alex took yet another step closer—close enough for Piper to smell cinnamon on her breath.

"Yeah, whatever." There was something in Alex's tone that didn't sit right with her, but Piper's breath hitched, rendering her unable to question Alex's true intentions.

"Good. See you tomorrow."

Alex headed towards the door, hand on the jamb. "You're meeting me at the art show?"

Piper quickly recanted. "No, I…"

"Tomorrow is Saturday, Piper. If you're not going to the art show, I'm guessing we _won't_ see each other." With that, Alex walked away.

* * *

For the next three weeks, Alex attended Humanities class a total of five times. Piper tried to ask more challenging questions about the books the class was assigned in hopes that Alex would answer, but Alex never bit. Piper observed her in class and around school (when she was present), and it was evident that she had very few friends. That didn't surprise her—Alex was far more mature and astute than her peers. Piper knew that her friend group was much older, and she assumed that being in high school all day did nothing for Alex's progress as an intellectual.

There were times when she desperately wanted to see Alex socially, but she refused to go to The Muddy Cup, where Alex would be _forced_ to be in the same space as her. Piper needed to make new friends, but none of the students in her graduate school class seemed as interesting as Alex. Selfishly, she wanted to find a way to engage Alex more inside the classroom or outside, as long as it was on the proper terms.

In mid-October, she decided to make a one-question quiz for Alex on the novel, _Foucault's Pendulum_. Piper had read the book in college and abhorred it, and she'd grappled with the reasons why she experienced equal distaste for Umberto Eco's other novel, _The Name of the Rose_. So the question Piper posed on Alex's quiz was simple: "What kind of reader would appreciate this book?"

She handed the quiz to Alex, who quickly read the question, and then looked up with a puzzled expression. Piper lifted her eyebrows, hoping Alex would understand the challenge. She walked back to her desk as the students scribbled their answers to an entirely different (and far easier) question about _Foucault's Pendulum._ Piper graded papers for her sophomore class while the students worked, occasionally glancing up at Alex, who was sitting in her desk, legs outstretched, and tapping the tip of her pen against her lips.

After 15 minutes, Piper gathered the quizzes and began discussing the novel in great detail. Alex's quiz, she noticed, was blank. Piper wondered if she'd stumped the young reader, or if Alex thought the question was too obtuse to answer.

At the end of class, Alex trailed behind.

"You left the page blank." Piper held the quiz up as if she needed Alex to see the lack of ink.

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "I wanted to write, 'a complete moron' as my answer, but I didn't think that would warrant any points."

"Think about it tonight. If you get it right, I'll do something you want me to do."

Alex arched one eyebrow, smile dangling on her lips.

Piper raised her hand and felt a blush crawling up her neck. "Within reason."

"And if I don't get the answer?" She lifted her chin.

"You'll do something _I_ want you to do."

Alex rolled her eyes. "Like come to your class every day?"

"Coming to class is part of your educational agreement—not part of losing a bet."

She strolled over to the teacher and held out her hand. "Deal."

Piper shook her hand and found it almost impossible to let go. Alex's hand felt good in hers. It would be so easy to stay attached that way for minutes if not hours. After a moment too long, Piper released it and flexed her fingers.

"Until tomorrow." Alex flung her bag over a shoulder and walked out of the room.

* * *

Piper had a bounce in her step that morning, hoping that Alex had, in fact, come up with an answer to her question. Minimally, she was proud of forcing Alex to think about more than just literary themes.

She had to admit that she was also intrigued by what Alex had in mind if she "won" their little bet.

As she walked into the classroom, Piper overheard two students congratulating Alex on something.

Alex passed in front of the teacher's desk, dragging her fingertips across the surface until she reached the middle. "I have your answer."

"Good." She put both hands on the desk and leaned forward. "Hand it in."

Alex mirrored her position, and their faces were less than a foot apart. "I'd rather give it to you orally."

Piper felt something tug in her stomach and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"After school—I'll meet you back here." When Alex spoke in such a deep, rich voice, it was impossible for Piper to issue a rebuttal.

As the hours ticked by until the end of the school day, Piper's stomach started to churn about being alone with Alex. Only once had they spent time in the classroom alone, but the door was ajar and they spoke for three minutes at most. The other matter she wanted to uncover was why two of her students had congratulated Alex.

Piper walked into the teacher's lounge and poured a cup of stale coffee.

"How's it going?" one of the science teachers asked, sipping his own cup of coffee.

"Fine." She opened a packet of sugar, dumping it into her mug. "So, I hear congratulations are in order for Alex Vause."

The only other teacher in the room lowered the newspaper. "I think it went for $500."

Piper straightened. "What did?"

"You know, her piece."

She was terrible at playing this game. "Right. Um, is the piece at school?"

"I'm sure it's hanging on the woman's living room wall by now." The science teacher put his empty mug in the dishwasher. "Now, if I could just get Alex to come to class, _maybe_ she'll pass physics."

"Tell me about it," the other teacher commented. "I think she's missed 80% of my class and it's not even the end of October."

"You have to really challenge her," Piper blurted out. "She's not going to go to class if she doesn't think she'll learn something."

Both men stared at her disbelievingly.

She scratched her head—there was no backing out of this conversation. "I give her quizzes that are intentionally harder than the rest of the class. She seems to respond to that."

"Uh, you're climbing a dangerous hill." The other teacher tucked the newspaper under his arm and stood. "Be careful with that, Piper."

She exited the lounge on a mission to find out what 'piece' the men were referring to and paid no mind to their warning about how to educate Alex Vause.

Piper journeyed down the hallway until she reached the art studio. She knocked on the half-opened door and pushed it gently until it squeaked. "Hello?"

The art teacher turned around, holding a painting. "Oh, hi, Piper. What brings you down here?"

The older art teacher had been at Newton for 25 years and planned to retire at the end of that academic year. He was revered among teachers and students, and he'd taken kindly to Piper those first two months of school.

"I haven't been in your studio since the new employee orientation in August." She looked around the vast space, admiring the finished art projects as well as the incomplete works. "Are there any seniors who are doing particularly well in your class?"

"Adam Brand is doing solid work in ceramics, and Sarah Furtado has exceeded my expectations in photography. She's got a real eye for landscapes." He stretched the canvas in a frame.

She stepped closer and eyed the painting. "Whose work is that?"

Mr. Street glanced up as if she should know. "Alex Vause—it's the one she sold at the art show last week. I was supposed to have it framed on Monday, but I haven't gotten to it until now."

Piper nearly dropped her coffee. She reached out instinctively and touched the canvas. "Is that oil?"

He nodded. "It's part of her AP Studio Art project. She's doing a fascinating collection of whimsical trees."

The painting was of a skinny, tall tree with maroon colored leaves set off to the side, and there were several golden concentric circles around the tree that almost seemed to suck it in like a tornado. Instead of it appearing destructive, it looked like the tree was somehow liberated.

"Wow."

"You should see the sculpture she's doing," he said. "In my 25 years as a teacher, I've never seen a student with that kind of attention to detail."

When she blinked, Piper realized her eyes stung from staying open too long. "Will you show me?"

Mr. Street shook his head. "You'll have to ask Alex. She's pretty particular about who sees her work."

Piper filed that away for later.

He rested the painting on a large table. "Did you come in here to ask about anyone in particular?"

"No, um…just to hear how some of the stronger students were doing," she lied.

"You should come to the school's art show in two weeks." He leaned over conspiratorially. "We'll even have booze for the parents and teachers."

"I will." She smiled. "I have to meet a student now. Thanks for the info."

"You bet."

Piper left the studio in awe. She had no idea that Alex was an _artist_. As she put it all together in her head, it didn't surprise her in the least, so she didn't know why she was acting as if the idea was so far-fetched.

"What are you doing in _this_ wing?" Out of nowhere, Alex appeared beside her.

"Oh, I was just…" she hesitated to tell the truth, worried that Alex might mistake her intentions.

Alex arched her eyebrows, as if waiting for her to continue.

"I saw your painting," she blurted out.

Alex stopped in the middle of the hall.

She took a few steps back to meet her. "It's beautiful, Alex."

She looked at her feet, licked her lips and then back up at Piper. "Thanks."

"Why are you afraid to share your art?"

"It's personal, you know…" She nudged her glasses higher. "The only reason I displayed two paintings at the community art thing last week was to make money."

Piper reached out, wrapping her fingers around Alex's wrist. "You're extremely talented."

She looked down where they were joined, and Piper immediately let go, bringing the same hand up to run through her hair.

"We were going to discuss your question about _Foucault's Pendulum._ " Alex stepped back. "Can we do that?"

Piper knew better than to press Alex, so she agreed to change the subject and head down the other hallway into her classroom. Once inside, she opened a window for some fresh air.

Piper slowly walked towards her desk. "Alright, I'm ready when you are."

"The kind of reader who appreciates Umberto Eco's work is one who enjoys esoterism." Alex remained standing, jutting one leg out and looking out the window as if disinterested in the conversation.

Piper leaned against the front of her desk. "And what is esoterism?"

"It's a term for loosely related, unconventional ideas." Alex's body remained facing the row of windows, but her head swiveled towards Piper. "Most readers are comfortable when they recognize consistency in literature. When there's inconsistency, something has to click within the reader's mind to eliminate the dissonance." She snapped her fingers at the word 'click'. "Otherwise, they'll feel lost from one chapter to the next."

Even as a college graduate, Piper would not have been able to produce such an eloquent, well-conceived answer. "Go on."

Alex walked from one side of the classroom to the other, almost explaining the idea to herself rather than to Piper. "Eco makes his books intentionally difficult to read. He deliberately put 200 pages of history into the _The Name of the Rose_ to discourage readers who were merely curious. He repeats this trick in _Foucault's Pendulum_ , with no effort to advance the plot or develop characters." She stopped in front of Piper and set her glasses on top of her head. "In layman's terms, Eco is a pompous asshole who wants the reader to _work_ at liking his stuff. If you stick with him, you're rewarded with a complicated yet gratifying second half of the book."

A grin slowly formed on Piper's face as she stood and ran her hands down the front of her skirt. "I'll give you a C+ for that answer."

"Fuck you," she chortled, jutting her chin back.

"Alex!" She took one step even closer, putting very little distance between them. "No cursing in here."

"Not only do I deserve an A _fucking_ plus," Alex whispered the harsh word as she placed a hand on Piper's hip. "But now you have to do something for me."

She looked down at Alex's hand, and then into her hazel eyes. Piper wanted to ask her to remove her hand, or better yet, back away, but she didn't— she _couldn't_.

"One of the women who's been coming to The Muddy Cup every Sunday morning invited a few of us on her boat this weekend. We'll cruise along the coast and look at the fall foliage." She squeezed Piper's hip. "Come with me."

"Alex, I can't…"

She lifted her brows. "A bet's a bet."

Piper looked at the ground—staring into Alex's eyes was too hypnotic.

She leaned forward and whispered in her ear, "I want you to come, Piper."

She felt a sharp intake of breath as Alex's warm breath fluttered against her ear. Piper took a step back, effectively moving out of Alex's personal space, and ran her sweaty palms down her sides.

"I'll text the time and address to you." She placed her glasses back on her face. "See you tomorrow."

After Alex left the classroom, Piper cupped the back of her neck with one hand, sighed and closed her eyes. She knew that going out with her student was a terrible idea, but as if there was some magical spell put on her, she simply couldn't resist.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note: A special thanks to my beta, Nicki. This story would be flat without her comments and guidance. Also, a huge thanks for the reviews! They mean the world to me, so please keep them coming.

* * *

As promised, Alex sent a text to her that Saturday morning, indicating the 3 o'clock sailing time and the address of the marina. Piper didn't return the message—she was still not convinced that she should show up.

 _Alex is your student_.

If _anyone_ —a student, parent, teacher or administrator—saw the two of them together, Piper would have some serious questions to answer. She risked being fired from her job. _Was a three-hour outing worth it_?

On the other hand, Piper wanted to spend time with Alex— _personal_ time, not school time. Alex had proven her intellectual aptitude, maturity and patience, and if Piper wasn't a teacher at Newton, this would be a non-issue—after all, Alex had already turned 18. The fact that she was still in high school troubled Piper, but it didn't deter her from _desperately_ wanting to get to know her better.

It was a sunny, brisk day, and the leaves all over Eastern Maine had already turned various shades of red and yellow. Piper had kept herself busy since waking up that morning to try to avoid thinking about what she should do—scratch that, she knew what she _should_ do, the question was, what _would_ she do. She went for a jog that morning, appreciating the fall foliage along the coast and thought that could be good enough—she didn't need to see the leaves from the water, though she was certain they'd look even more vibrant as their reflection danced on the ocean. She went to a yoga class and tried to concentrate on her inner being rather than a certain student and what she might look like on a boat as her dark hair blew in the breeze. She went to the grocery store; a deli in a neighboring town that she'd heard had the best Italian subs; and the university library to study for her grad school classes.

At 2:45, Piper drove towards the water, passing the marina a couple of times before deciding to pull in. She swerved into the parking lot and felt her pulse quicken as she put the car in park. She took several uneven breaths before deciding that she would go through with it. Logically, she thought, she'd be out to sea, so unless one of the other passengers was associated with Newton School, it was safe to assume no one would know or care that Alex was her student. She trusted that Alex had avoided any questions about the student/teacher relationship, and she hoped neither of them would have to lie about it.

Piper grabbed an insulated bag from the back seat, which was filled with two bottles of San Pellegrino and various cheeses. She didn't want to show up empty handed, and she hoped what she brought was enough to please the host. She'd originally packed a bottle of Pinot Gris, but upon further consideration, figured she shouldn't bring alcohol with Alex present. Piper walked tentatively through a tall gate and noticed that most boats were idle with no one aboard. She continued down the narrow, wooden dock until she heard laughter coming from a large boat.

"Looking for anyone in particular?" A woman approached from behind.

"I'm meeting some friends down here," Piper announced. "You wouldn't happen to know Alex Vause?"

"Alex? Yeah, of course!" The woman replied with a thick New York accent. "You're headed in the right direction. Follow me."

Sure enough, the boat where the laughter was coming from was the one she'd been searching for. Piper looked up and saw Alex, wearing a gray sweater with maroon sleeves. She allowed herself to appreciate Alex's figure—since she'd found out that Alex was her student, Piper had tried earnestly not to admire her physical beauty; rather, she focused on her beautiful mind. Alex threw her head back with laughter, and Piper was close enough to take in the sight of her long, white neck that contrasted dramatically against her black hair.

"I'm Lorna, by the way."

Piper whipped her head around, forgetting that she'd been accompanied to the yacht by the shorter woman. "Hi, I'm Piper."

"I'd shake your hand, but mine are kind of full." She held up two paper bags. "A little help down here!"

The three women already aboard looked down.

"Keep your panties on," a woman with wild, reddish-blonde hair stated as she made her way down the steps. "Hey, you must be Piper."

She squinted into the sun at a grinning Alex; Lorna and the crazy-haired woman all but forgotten.

"Glad you could make it. I'm Nicky." She shook Piper's hand, and then pointed to the two other women aboard. "You obviously know Alex, and that's Maggie. She owns this thing."

Piper shielded the sun with a hand. "Thanks for inviting me."

Alex reached down to help her onto the platform. "I'm glad you made it."

"I'm only hear because you answered my question appropriately," she said quite enough for only Alex to hear.

"Is that why?"

She blushed and couldn't think of a proper comeback that wouldn't sound like an equal falsehood.

Nicky took one of the bags Lorna was carrying, and all of the women climbed aboard.

Piper shook Maggie's hand, who thanked her for the sparkling water and cheese. "I'm happy to open these, but we have a pretty decent spread in the cabin."

"I didn't know what I should bring," she confessed, pulling out the cheeses.

Maggie, who looked like she might've been a movie star 20 years ago, smiled and patted her on the arm. "You're my guest—you didn't have to bring a thing. Let me show you around."

She followed Maggie, turning back once to silently check with Alex.

Alex waved. "Enjoy the tour."

Maggie told her about the 50-foot yacht while showing her the two-bedroom cabin and the spacious captain's deck, complete with an L-shaped sofa and a table that looked perfect for mixing cocktails. Everything was modern and luxurious, and Piper wondered what Maggie did for a living to own such a gorgeous vessel.

"There are two heads on board," she explained. "Make yourself comfortable, grab anything you want out of the refrigerator, and enjoy yourself, sweetie."

"This is amazing," Piper said as she stepped back into the main cabin. "Thank you again for having me."

"I know Alex was looking forward to it." The older woman smiled and headed back to the open area in the rear of the boat where the other guests were.

"Impressive, huh?" Alex stepped over the baseboard and joined her in the cabin.

Her eyes roamed around the well-appointed space. "I've never seen anything like it."

"Want something to drink?" She made her way to the wet bar. "There's white wine, Champagne, beer and sparkling water, which I think is courtesy of you."

"I'll have whatever's open." Piper admired the spread of everything from shrimp cocktail to steak skewers.

Alex held up a bottle and read the label. "Looks like _Veuve du Vernay Brut Rosé_. I have no fucking clue what any of that means, but it sounds expensive."

She was hardly paying attention to Alex as she walked into the larger of two sleeping quarters. "I'll have a glass of that."

Alex poured two flutes of sparkling wine. "Can you believe the size of the master bedroom?"

"They're called _staterooms_ not _bedrooms_." Piper walked back into the living room. "And the kitchen is the _galley_." She ran her hand across the marble countertop. "So, you've been on the yacht before?"

"I've been on board two or three times this summer. They throw a big Fourth of July party with so many people, you can hardly find a place to stand."

"It's _aboard_ not _on board_ ," Piper corrected her again, and then held a hand in the air. "Sorry, I'll stop."

Alex handed her one of the Champagne flutes. "For someone who hasn't been on a yacht before, you sure know your boating terminology."

Piper shrugged. "I read a book called, _Boating Skills & Seamanship_ the other day."

"You fucking studied before coming _aboard_?" Alex teased with a wide grin.

She shrugged again. "What can I say? I'm a sucker for proper vocabulary."

"Whatever turns you on." Alex rolled her eyes and lifted her glass. "A toast?"

Piper raised her glass, thinking about exactly what turned her on, and it had nothing to do with boating terminology.

She licked her lips and tapped her glass against Piper's. "To finding our way."

"Cheers." Piper clinked her glass and tried hard not to think about why they needed to toast to such a thing. "Wait!" She put a hand on Alex's arm. "You can't drink that—you're not 21."

Alex let out an amused huff. "Are you serious? I've been drinking since I was 14. It's no big deal, really."

Piper gave her a look, but allowed her to take a sip. She certainly didn't want to act like Alex's mother—being _motherly_ was the furthest thing from her mind.

"Besides, these women have no idea I'm in high school," she admitted under her breath.

Piper's eyes widened. "They don't know you're in school?"

She took another sip and shook her head. "No, and we're going to keep it that way."

Piper shoved one of her sleeves past her elbow. "What do they think you do all day?"

She lifted her shoulders. "They know I have two jobs, so they probably think I'm at one of them."

"Do they know how old you are?"

"It's never come up." Alex popped a shrimp in her mouth. "Mmm. These are delicious. Want one?"

"Sure."

She set down her Champagne flute and dipped a large shrimp into cocktail sauce, and then suspended it over Piper's mouth. Piper ate the prawn in one bite and felt Alex's other hand on the back of her arm.

"Wow, that's good," she said with a full mouth.

Alex ate another shrimp, one hand still splayed on Piper's triceps. Piper didn't ask her to move it.

"The gang's all here!" Maggie stepped inside, followed by a bombshell of a woman with caramel-colored skin and long, dark hair. "Saroj, this is Alex's friend, Piper."

The woman kissed both cheeks. "Hello, pleasure to meet you. Welcome aboard."

"Thank you." Piper glanced up at Alex, who leaned down to whisper. "Maggie's wife."

Maggie was an attractive woman, no doubt, but she had to be at least 15 years Saroj's senior.

She leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Is this a lesbian couple's cruise?"

"It _can_ be." Alex smirked. "Come on, let's go upstairs."

All five women joined Maggie on the bridge after she pulled away from the dock. Saroj moved around the yacht as if she'd sailed a hundred times. She turned on what Maggie considered _sailing_ _music_ and brought up a bottle of sparkling wine with a tray of hors d'oeuvres.

"So, how did you two meet?" Lorna asked around a cracker.

Piper stiffened next to Alex and hoped she would answer the question.

"Same way I met Nicky and Maggie—at the coffee shop," she replied coolly.

"Seems like a good place to meet people." Lorna smiled. "How long have you been together?"

"Hey, this isn't 20 questions, kid," Nicky replied, grabbing her girlfriend's hand. "Let's get more food from downstairs. I'm starving and one fucking cracker ain't gonna do it."

Piper gave the couple a light smile as they journeyed down the steps, and then she looked up at Alex with relief that Lorna's interrogation was over.

"Before I forget, Alex," the exotic woman set her sparkling wine down. "I have an interested buyer for your latest sculpture."

Alex stepped closer as if their conversation should be private. "How much do you think he's willing to pay?"

"The work he's bought from me in the past has gone for at least a thousand, so I'd expect his offer to be fairly generous," Saroj replied in a thick accent that Piper couldn't quite place. "I'll need some new photographs as you make progress."

"I'll have some for you next week." She poured herself another glass of wine, and then topped off Piper's glass.

"You sell art?" Piper asked, not sure which woman she was directing her question to, but curious to hear from both.

"I own an art studio," Saroj replied. "And I've helped Alex sell a few of her pieces."

Alex kept her head bowed and cleared her throat as if she hadn't wanted Piper to know this information.

"Have you seen her work?" Maggie asked as she steered the vessel North.

Piper glanced at her companion. "I saw one of her paintings by accident."

"I'll have to show you more some time." Alex gave her a tight, unsteady smile. "I'm going to go down and look at the trees from the back of the boat."

"It's the _aft_ , honey," Maggie called.

After Alex disappeared, Saroj touched her arm. "She's very private about her art. Don't take it personally."

"Well, she's selling it, so it can't be _too_ private," Piper replied, wishing she could take her words back for fear of coming off like a petulant teen who wanted to be in on a secret.

"She sells it because she has to," Maggie responded. It was the first time there wasn't a smile plastered on the older woman's face.

Piper was about to ask for more details, but she figured that was information she should get directly from Alex, not from a friend. She grew more curious about her student and the life she led outside of working two jobs and going to school, but she didn't want to press too hard, especially in the company of others.

Nicky and Lorna reappeared with the shrimp cocktail, gazpacho shooters, and another bottle of wine.

Piper put her hand on the railing before heading back into the cabin. "Do you need anything else up here?"

Saroj smiled. "We're fine, thank you."

It didn't take long for her to spot Alex on the back deck, elbows on the ledge as she gazed out into the distance.

"It's chilly when the boat's moving," she tried, taking a few steps towards her companion. "Technically, I should have said when the boat's _running_ , not moving," she corrected herself.

Alex stood, turning her body more fully towards Piper. "Yeah, I should grab my jacket."

"You don't have to explain your reasons for selling art to me," Piper tried, hand pressed against Alex's chest as the younger woman tried to scoot by. "I get that your art is personal."

Alex slowly raised her arm, placing her fingers around Piper's wrist but not removing her hand from her chest. She looked down at Piper's hand and kept her eyes downcast as she replied. "I just don't want people…I don't want _you_ …to think that I'm only into art to make money. My work is important to me, but sometimes I have to sell it to survive."

 _To survive_?

Piper wrinkled her brow but carried on. "Sometimes we have to do things we don't enjoy to make money." She dropped her hand, and her palm felt warm from resting on Alex's chest. "I don't necessarily _want_ to teach while I'm in grad school, but I have to."

Alex smiled, seemingly grateful for her response. They stood there for a moment, just looking at each other, until Piper suddenly felt a chill over her body.

"You're cold. I'll get a blanket." She rubbed the back of Piper's arms before stepping into the cabin.

"Mind if we join you out here?" Nicky announced as she made her way onto the back of the boat. "I brought booze."

"Not at all." Piper grinned; she liked Nicky and Lorna. In fact, she liked all of the women aboard the yacht that day. She could understand why Alex was drawn to them.

"Piper, what do you do for a living?" Lorna asked, pouring more liquid into her flute.

"I teach part-time, but I spend most of my time in grad school." She peered around Lorna to see if Alex was on her way back. The last thing she wanted was to get stuck in an awkward conversation. Alex was cool under pressure—Piper wished she was half as unfazed.

Lorna sat next to Nicky. "What are you studying?"

Piper set her empty glass on a small table and rubbed her arms to warm them against the cool breeze. "I'm getting a Master's in education."

"Smarty pants, huh?" Nicky chuckled. "No wonder you and Alex like each other. Never play trivia against Lurch over there."

Again, Piper searched for Alex with worry on her brow. She sat on the long bench seat, bringing both feet to rest on the cushion as she formed a ball to stay warm.

Finally, Alex appeared, bottle tucked under her arm, glass of wine in one hand and a thick blanket in the other. "Anybody ready to switch to red?"

Nicky drained her glass and held it out to Alex. "We were just talking about you."

"Oh yeah? What about?" She eyed Piper and gave her a tiny smile as if to say, _everything is ok_.

"Just that you're very smart," Lorna replied, elbow in Nicky's side.

"Want to play Trivial Pursuit?" Alex smirked and handed Piper the blanket. "You know I'm always down."

"Thanks," Piper whispered.

"No fucking way," Nicky laughed. "Unless you're on my team."

"Not a chance, Nichols." Alex handed Piper the bottle of red and her full glass, and she took both wordlessly, figuring Alex wanted to crawl under the blanket, too. "Comfortable?"

Piper nodded, allowing Alex to drape her arm over her shoulders. Piper leaned into the crook of her arm and took a sip of Merlot from Alex's glass, while balancing the bottle on her leg. Seeming to notice that the bottle was a nuisance, Alex grabbed it and set it in a cup holder so that Piper could have a free hand.

Everything about the situation felt right—nothing felt weird or out of place when she was with Alex. Piper thought she might've tensed up at Alex's touch, but the opposite happened—she savored every soothing touch, trying to ignore the niggling in her head that she was canoodling with her student.

"Wow, would you look at that?" Lorna pointed towards the shore. "Are those maple trees?"

Alex leaned forward, pressing her chest against Piper's back. "The red leaves are most likely maple and sumac. The yellow ones are a combination of birch, beechwood and elm."

"What about the purple ones?" Lorna asked.

"Probably white ash," Piper offered. It was the first time during their cruise that she remembered she was there to look at the fall foliage.

Alex nudged her glasses. "Or witch hazel."

"We're definitely not playing trivia with the two of you," Nicky chuckled.

Under the blanket, Alex squeezed her thigh and left her hand just above the knee. It caught Piper off guard, but she liked it. Perhaps the third glass of wine was going to her head, but she decided to snake her hand under the blanket and cover Alex's hand with her own. She felt Alex look down at her, but she kept her eyes on the shoreline. Alex turned the other woman's palm up and dragged her fingertips lightly over her skin.

Piper felt something tug in her stomach and wetness begin to form between her legs. She also felt her cheeks heat up, yet she still sipped Alex's red wine, knowing that would only make her warmer.

"We're going to see what Maggie and Saroj are doing up there." Nicky stood. "If they're smoking out, anyone care to partake?"

"No, thanks," Piper replied. She took a big whiff of air, but didn't smell pot—the only thing she could smell was salt air combined with the sweet scent of the girl next to her.

When both women were out of earshot, Alex bent her head down, close to Piper's ear. "Glad you came?"

"I am." She smiled up at her, and for a moment, Piper thought they might kiss and there would be nothing she could do to stop it—nor would she want to. It was as if she was hypnotized.

Instead, they were interrupted by all four women.

"Change of plans," Nicky remarked as she headed back to where she'd been sitting a minute earlier.

"I thought this would be a nice place to drift for a while and look at the foliage," Maggie announced, shrugging into a jacket. "The sun will set in about 20 minutes, so this is prime viewing time."

Piper sat up, unlinking her hand with Alex's as if they'd just been caught by their parents.

Saroj passed around a try of bacon wrapped dates, but Piper didn't grab one.

The women toasted and talked and drank another bottle of wine as the sun set, casting a glow on the rippling water. The conversation slowly ventured from the joys of Autumn to more specific discussions about plans that the other two couples had for the rest of the year. Saroj and Maggie were traveling to Italy on "a romantic Renaissance tour" over Thanksgiving, while Nicky and Lorna were going to San Diego for some sun & fun. Lorna went on and on about the wedding she hoped to have, but Nicky pointed out jovially that they weren't yet engaged. Both couples weren't _super_ physically demonstrative, but they held hands, stole kisses and generally acted like women in love.

When the conversation about the origin of _their_ relationship came to fruition, Piper tensed. The comfort she'd felt earlier had dissipated as if she and Alex were on display. She didn't want to lie to the other women, but she also wasn't prepared to be fully honest with them about where she and Alex stood, and quite honestly, she didn't know where that was other than the fact that they were teacher/student.

By no means was Piper ready to consider a _relationship_ with her student—that was an impossibility. She might've considered a physical dalliance with Alex, but it couldn't go any further than that. Come to think of it, she shouldn't have even thought about going _that_ far. So much as a kiss could get her fired—hell, _holding hands_ could cost Piper her job and possibly send her to jail.

"We're not quite ready to discuss _us_ ," Alex replied to one of Lorna's pointed questions.

After an uncomfortable moment of silence and suddenly feeling caged, Piper stood, allowing Maggie to take her spot. Alex hopped up and was quickly replaced by Saroj.

"Everything ok?" She asked after stepping inside.

"Yeah," Piper gave her a toothless smile. "I've just had a lot to drink in a short amount of time, and it's getting cold out there."

"There are heaters up on the bridge." Alex took her hand. "We can go up there."

"It's not just the cold…" Piper pulled back and sighed, nervously scratching her head. "It's our situation. We shouldn't be doing this." She hoped her expression was more confident than it felt.

"What are we doing?" Alex let out a huff. "So we cuddled under a blanket for warmth. Big deal."

"It _is_ a big deal," Piper said in a hushed tone as she brushed her knotted hair out of her face. "Those women out there are _couples_. We are not a couple, Alex…even if we wanted to be, which I don't believe either of us _does_ at this point, we can't go down that road."

She put her hands on her hips. "You think I was setting you up?"

Piper didn't respond; she bit the inside of her cheek.

"There were supposed to be three other people on this boat tonight—two single guys and Maggie's 25-year-old straight daughter." She shrugged. "I had no idea it was going to be just the six of us."

Piper had never considered that other people might've been involved in their outing.

"I've already told you this, but I like you." She took a step closer. "I like spending time with you, and I thought this would be a cool thing to do together without any pressure or strings attached."

"I like spending time with you, too," Piper confessed. "But we can't touch and hold hands. I'm mostly to blame for letting it get that far."

Alex shook her head and turned around, grabbing an opened bottle of Tempranillo and pouring a new glass.

"I didn't want this to be awkward, but…"

"That's the thing!" Alex spun around, wine sloshing in her glass. "It _hasn't_ been awkward; in fact, it's been the opposite!"

She looked at her feet, afraid to meet Alex's eyes for fear that her student would see right through her.

Alex set her wine glass down and took both of Piper's hands. "If you weren't my teacher, none of this would be a problem."

"But I _am_ ," she let out an anxious breath.

Alex flexed her jaw and released her hands. "You are," she replied in a low, sad tone. She picked up her glass and trekked up the steps.

Piper tossed her head back and closed her eyes, wishing they could fast forward a year. Time was sure to crawl slower the more she wanted it to speed up. For two months, she'd tried getting Alex off her mind with little to no success. Alex wasn't going anywhere, and neither was she—they were stuck in a fucked up, personal Purgatory.

Piper didn't want their argument to spoil the evening, so she took a deep breath and headed up the five steps to the bridge. Alex was standing as close to the bow as she could get, staring into the distance. Piper wrapped her arms around the younger woman from behind, hooking her chin over Alex's broad shoulder, her heart sinking the moment Alex's hands covered hers.

"I wish this was good enough," Alex whispered.

Although she still didn't want to examine what was happening between them too closely, Piper knew it wasn't good enough—their bodies and minds were drawn to each other; a mere hug wouldn't serve as a balm.

"It has to be," Piper replied.

They remained that way for a moment, before Piper released her. "Can we at least try to have a good time with your friends for the rest of the evening?"

Alex attempted a smile. "Yeah, I guess."

They journeyed back down to the aft of the boat and spent the next hour part happy for the good company and part sad that even if they wanted to, they couldn't be together the way the other couples were.

What Piper thought would be a two-hour boat ride ended up being a four-hour endeavor. She'd stopped drinking halfway through their voyage, and by the time they tied up at the marina, she was wiped out.

"Thank you so much for having me." Piper hugged Maggie and Saroj.

"It was great fun," Saroj said. "We'll have to do it again."

Maggie smiled. "Anytime you want to go out to sea, let me know."

She hugged Lorna and Nicky, all three promising they'd get together soon. When it came time to say goodbye to Alex, she didn't know how to proceed.

"I'll walk you to your car," Alex tried.

"No, that's ok." She put a hand on Alex's chest. "I can manage."

She felt Alex's body tense.

"Thank you again." Piper wrapped her arms around her student one last time. "Bye."

She could feel Alex's eyes on her as she walked down the narrow dock and into the marina parking lot. A part of her wanted to run back, throw her arms around Alex, and spend the night with the rest of the women on the boat, drinking and smoking out. Piper didn't have it in her to fight for something she knew was wrong—at least not that night.


	4. Chapter 4

Over the next week, Piper was upset with herself for going on the boat cruise. She should've stayed away from Alex. Trouble was, even though she knew she'd overstepped boundaries, she still couldn't get Alex off her mind. She called in sick on that Monday and Tuesday, and truth be told, she _was_ sick, just not with the flu. Piper was disgusted with herself for thinking about Alex so much, and the time off did nothing to prevent those thoughts from crystallizing. Perhaps if she kept busy, she could successfully avoid thinking of reasons why she liked Alex so damn much.

She decided that two days of avoidance, sulking and contemplating were enough; she needed to go back to Newton if for no other reason than _to do the job she was hired to do_. It was inevitable that she'd see Alex again, so Piper reluctantly showed up for her first period class, hoping to avoid the student as long as possible. She was successful for more than half of the day. With their rotating schedule, the Humanities class was the final one that afternoon.

"Welcome back, Ms. Chapman, were you sick?" one of the seniors asked.

"Yes, but I'm better now." Piper shuffled the papers on her desk, keeping her eyes down. "Take your seats, please. Thank you for being patient while I was away. I hope you didn't give the sub too much trouble."

"We were perfect angels," one of the students commented.

She looked up and was surprised to see Alex enter through the back door, nudging her glasses as she took a seat in the back of the class. _Why did she have to look so hot in a leather jacket and ripped jeans?_ Piper averted her eyes and surveyed the room for a student who she could count on to bring her back to the task at hand.

"Jasmine, would you mind filling me in on how far you got over the past two days with _The Passage_?"

The student gave Piper an earful about what the class had already discussed, but Piper couldn't concentrate on anything Jasmine said. Her eyes flicked from the novel in her hands to Alex, never holding focus on either for more than 10 seconds. Fifteen minutes into class, Piper felt lightheaded and wondered if she should step outside for some fresh air. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to hold it together, while Alex sat at her desk, reading the Japanese novel, _When I Whistle_ by Shusaku Endo—a book _not_ assigned to the class.

Piper remembered reading that novel her sophomore year of college and finding the nuances hard to grasp, yet there Alex sat, already halfway through the book and flipping the pages every 30 or 40 seconds. The funny thing was that if she called on Alex to answer an intricate question about _The Passage_ , Alex would have no problem focusing on a totally different book from the one she was reading and giving a precise answer for the class to reflect upon. The way she grasped literature and literary themes at the ripe age of 18 was mind boggling.

Piper stood abruptly as it dawned on her: _She'd been falling in love_. That was the opposite of good—it was downright wrong on every level.

"I have to…" She hurried out of the classroom, hand over her mouth, and entered the girls' bathroom, fearful that the vomit she'd been holding back wouldn't stay in her throat long enough to make it to the sink.

She put her hands on either side of the sink and threw up as her chest heaved and eyes watered. She splashed cold water on her face, and then locked herself in a stall, head in her hands, and wept. It wasn't a sobbing sort of cry; rather one where her eyes just sort of leaked with an anxious ache.

She examined her conscience as she sat on the toilet, wondering _how in the fuck_ she could possibly fall in love with Alex, but the hardest part to come to terms with was that she could list at least five reasons _why_ —her love of literature, her way with words, her mysterious nature, her commitment to working two jobs, her maturity, her talent as an artist, her discretion, and of course, her beauty. If Piper had to break down the physical things she loved about Alex, she'd start with her lips, then her eyes—wait, no, her broad shoulders…

"Ms. Chapman?" a soft voice called. "Um, are you ok?"

She sniffed, pulling a long piece of toilet paper off the roll and wiping her nose. "Yeah, I guess I'm not over this cold after all," she lied.

"Do you want me to get the school nurse?"

"No, I'll be fine." She blew her nose. "Thanks for checking on me. Go back to class; I'll be there in a minute."

She heard the bathroom door shut and sat up straight. Piper had to get herself together—she could not go on for an entire year like this. Something needed to change, and she'd spend the weekend thinking about what that might be. She hauled herself back into the classroom, apologized for not being fully ready to be back at school after suffering from the stomach bug, and asked the class to read their novels silently for the duration of class.

When she sat back down, she realized that Alex wasn't there.

* * *

That weekend, Piper _did_ come up with several plans to avoid seeing Alex for the remainder of the school year. She'd ask the headmaster if she could either switch roles with the junior Humanities teacher at the beginning of the second semester, or she'd ask if she could try out the concept of an "inverted classroom" at Newton. That way, she could make videos of the lesson of the day, and students who had a difficult time grasping the literary or historical concepts could ask questions individually during class time. The pre-calculus teacher at Newton had begun the year in such a fashion, and she'd gotten rave reviews from students and parents. If the concept was approved, there would be no way Alex would go to class for help—she didn't need it.

If neither solution was approved, the only thing left to do was to quit or ask Alex to get her GED. After all, that's what Alex had told her she'd wanted from the start—why not just make everyone happy and stop going to classes at Newton? She would certainly pass the GED without any problem, and then _maybe_ they could take a stab at a relationship.

As if Piper needed to cover her absence even more, many of the faculty were out sick that next week, including the headmaster. Piper's Plan A and B would have to wait. As luck would have it, Alex didn't go to her class until that Thursday, which was also the day of the school's art show. (Students who weren't present on that day would not be allowed to show their work.) Piper had promised Mr. Street as well as a number of her students that she'd attend the art show, and she planned on keeping that promise.

She gave her students a quiz that day, but she hadn't made a special one for Alex. The enigmatic student turned hers in within 10 minutes, and then asked to be excused. The women held eyes for a moment before Alex walked away without verbal permission.

Piper remained at school that afternoon to catch up on the work she'd missed while she was out, and just before the art show began, she walked down to the studio to wish the students luck—at least that's what she told herself.

"Looking for someone?"

Piper twisted her head to the right to find Alex standing in a paint-splattered tank top with a black dress draped over one arm.

She tried to smile. "I was just coming to wish everyone luck."

"They're already in the gallery." Alex hung the dress on a hook. "I have to change, so..."

"Oh, right. I'll just…" Piper hooked a thumb over her shoulder as she was about to retreat, but then thought better of it. Maybe this was her opportunity to present one of her plans. "You mentioned possibly getting your GED—maybe I can help you look into that next week."

Alex glared at the teacher, almost dumbfounded at such a suggestion. "Is that what you came here to tell me?"

"No, I…"

"Piper, this space, this _material_ is why I'm still in high school." She picked up a block of clay. "Everything in this studio is mine for the taking—the paint, the brushes, the canvases, the wire, this clay— _all of it_. I could never make the art that I do without this place."

"I'm sure your parents pay tuition for all of it."

"I'm on a scholarship," she blurted out in a defiant huff. "And I don't have _parents_."

Piper creased her forehead. "What?"

"Nothing, forget I said anything." She rolled her glasses to the top of her head and looked away. "The show starts in like five minutes; I have to change."

Piper pressed on, taking a step closer. "What do you mean, _you don't have parents_?"

"It's me and my mom—that's it." Alex tossed the clay onto a table, and it landed with a thud. "And sometimes we can't afford to pay the bills. _That's_ why art is so important to me."

"Alex, I…" she trailed off, shaking her head.

" _Don't_." Alex raised a hand. "Don't say how sorry you are and that you wished you would've known. I don't want your pity." She turned to lift her dress off the hook.

Piper took a step closer. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

"What difference would it have made?" She shrugged. "Would you have wanted to be with me if you knew?"

"That's not what's keeping us apart." Piper folded her arms and lifted her chin. "But context would've helped me understand you better."

"What are you saying? That if I quit school and get my GED, we could have a relationship?" Alex asked through an incredulous, somewhat incensed huff.

Piper didn't know where to go with that question. If she answered yes, she'd look like an asshole with the new knowledge about why Alex remained in school. If she answered no, all bets to be romantically involved were most likely off.

"What are you still doing in here?" One of the seniors busted into the studio. "The show started!"

Alex pulled her glasses over her eyes. "I'll be there in a minute."

"Forgot my vase." The boy grabbed a turquoise vase, and then left the room.

"I'm not getting my GED; everything that I need is wrapped up in this studio." She took her dress into the other room, brushing Piper's shoulder with her own as she passed. "Excuse me."

Piper was flabbergasted. She hadn't even thought about with whom Alex lived or why she'd need two jobs. She recalled Alex's statement on the yacht about needing to sell her art _to survive_ , and it all made sense now. She felt selfish and cold for never asking, yet she knew Alex wouldn't have divulged that information without having first established a trusting relationship.

She turned to walk out of the studio, wondering if she should just go home after being fully deflated by her student's predicament and the fact that Plan C for Alex to get her GED was a no-go.

"Ms. Chapman, I'm so glad you're staying for the show!" One of her students said as she made her way down the hall with a pitcher of lemonade. "Come on, it's right this way."

Piper forced a smile and allowed the girl to lead her to the gallery, deciding to at least show her face for ten minutes.

* * *

The artwork that the students made was mediocre, but she hadn't expected it to be worthy of a downtown art gallery. She grabbed a glass of Champagne and perused the room, students coming up to her, expressing their appreciation that she'd shown up. Piper felt good about that—that her presence meant something to them. Only problem was, it meant nothing to the one who mattered most.

The gallery was set up like a maze, and every five feet, the guests entered a small room where the student-artist stood, ready to talk about the four or five pieces in the space. There were lots of landscape paintings, ceramic vases and multi-media images, many of which looked the same. Piper turned the corner, hoping she'd be able to recognize Alex's work instantly, and as she entered another 'room,' she stopped short at what she saw. There were three paintings of whimsical trees, a bronze lamp that had branches like a tree, and a vase with trees painted on it. She didn't need to be told whose work that was.

"Told you she was talented," Mr. Street commented as he probably noticed Piper's mouth agape. "You haven't seen Alex, have you? I'm in her space to talk about her art while she's away."

Piper couldn't speak as she took in the beauty before her; she simply shook her head, mouth becoming dry.

Mr. Street straightened one of the paintings. "Her sculpture isn't on display."

"Why not?" Piper finally asked.

"She was afraid the branches would break if she shoved it into this small space." He turned around. "Speak of the devil."

Alex tossed her dark hair aside. "Sorry I'm late."

Piper remained facing the wall of paintings, but she twisted her head around to see Alex. She swallowed hard at the way Alex filled out her simple black dress. Perhaps it was the heels that made her look like she was 10 years older, but the only word to describe Alex that evening was _stunning_.

"I'll leave you to it, then." Mr. Street patted her on the shoulder and exited the room.

Alex placed a placard with her name on it next to the lamp. "I thought you'd gone home."

She whipped her head around and stared at the wall in front of her, heart picking up its pace. "I promised my students I'd be here."

"How thoughtful of you," Alex replied in a condescending tone.

Piper faced her student, hand on her hip. "I'm admiring your work, Alex, which is _fucking incredible_ , so can you cut me a little slack?"

A couple walked into the room, showering Alex with praise, and leaving Piper breathless in the center of the small space.

"Where's the ceramic sculpture we've heard so much about?" the woman asked, scanning the room.

"Excuse me for just a minute." Alex smiled at the couple, and then stepped past them. She motioned to Piper with a flick of her neck to step into the hallway.

Piper tentatively followed her student into the narrow space.

"The show's over at eight," Alex stated in a low voice. "Wait for me at the studio."

It was the first time Piper heard uncertainty in Alex's voice.

"Alex, I…"

She squeezed Piper's hand. " _Please_."

There hadn't been a time yet when Piper could say no to Alex, and this wouldn't be the first. She nodded, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and then left the gallery with butterflies swarming in her stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Notes: Thanks once again for such lovely feedback. For those of you who picked up on Piper's self-absorption and Alex's "attitude" and not being able to resist the pull towards Piper, BINGO! It was my intent to write them as close to canon as possible in this story. I recognize that I'm not the best at proper characterization in my other stories, so I'm pleased that some of you felt the canonical representation of Piper and Alex in the previous chapter.

Second note: I haven't divided all the chapters yet, but I think it will be eight total.

Third note: This chapter is rated Mature for some serious _adulting_. Sorry it's so short, but I'm hoping the payoff is worth it.

* * *

Piper remained at the art show until the end, observing her other students' work, and under the guise of helping Mr. Street clean up, she remained at school past 8 p.m. She loitered in the hallway near the art studio, waiting for Alex to arrive but told herself that if she didn't show up by 8:30, she'd go home. As she paced in the corridor, Piper felt uneasy about staying at school so late just so that Alex could have a word with her…or something.

"Enjoyed the show?"

She turned to see Alex walking towards her barefoot, heels dangling in her right hand.

"It was nice." She tried smiling, but knew it fell short of a full-fledged smile. Piper had been nervous that entire evening, and watching Alex sway towards her didn't do anything to calm her nerves. "Sarah Furtado's photo exhibit was great."

"Her black and white prints are decent," Alex commented, opening the door to the studio and allowing Piper to walk in ahead of her.

Piper entered the dimly lit space. "Shoes bothering you?"

"I don't know how women wear these things," she noted, tossing her pumps to the side. "Give me my Converse any day."

Piper looked around the studio that had been empty earlier that evening and was now filled with some of the free-standing artwork that had been on display in the gallery. "Why did you want me to stick around?"

Alex blinked several times as if reviewing something in her head. She approached a door to what Piper thought was a closet and opened it, wordlessly reaching inside for the light switch.

She remained just outside, crooking her body to peek inside. "What's in there?"

"I'm not inviting you to play Seven Minutes in Heaven." Alex gave her an eye roll and released the doorknob, motioning for Piper to step inside. "This is it."

She took a tentative step inside, and under the one recessed light in the room stood a sculpture of a tree. "Is this what everyone was talking about?" Piper kept her eyes on the sculpture as she stepped further into the tiny space.

"Yeah."

She felt Alex's presence next to her but didn't bother to confirm it; Piper was too blown away by the piece in front of her.

"I started with thin, steel wire to make the base and the branches," Alex stated. "Then I used ceramic to make the tree trunk. It's shiny because of the varnish I used to coat the base. I wrapped the steel wire with another kind of artistic wire to make the branches, and the leaves…" Alex reached out to touch one. "The leaves were the hardest part—they're made out of hand-cut copper."

Piper shook her head in awe. "Alex, this is…"

She turned her hands over and examined them. "I still have a few cuts from working with those little fuckers."

Piper looked up at the artist. "I've never seen anything like it."

"That was the plan." Alex shrugged and gave her a humble smile.

Piper returned her attention to the tree, walking around it to see the leaves twinkle from different angles. "Is this the sculpture Saroj was talking about?"

"Yeah—it took eight months to finish." She pushed her glasses higher on her nose. "The guy she was talking about came to see it the other day and offered me $2,000."

Piper's eyes bulged. "Wow."

"I didn't sell it to him." She leaned against the wall, hands behind her back. "The owner of The Muddy Cup wants it. I'd rather sell it to her for a little less if I can, you know, _be with it_ almost every day."

Piper was taken aback as it dawned on her: In order for Alex to keep her prized work in her life, she'd need locals to buy it and put it on public display. She was going to ask if Alex _had to_ sell the sculpture, but she knew the answer to that question.

"It would look perfect in the coffee shop." Piper smiled wistfully as she walked over to her student, mirroring her position against the wall, shoulders touching.

"I didn't want to risk breaking it at the art show; that's why it'll stay in here until I get the money."

Piper twisted her head and looked up at her. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you." Alex blinked down at her. "I wanted you to see it before the rest of the world—or at least the rest of Biddeford."

Almost impulsively, Piper curved her head to the left, kissing Alex's bare shoulder next to the strap of her dress. She heard Alex take in a sharp breath. She ignored the little voice in her head that begged her to stop and kissed her shoulder again and again, finally pushing herself off the wall to stand in front of the student. Alex didn't move. Piper reached up with one hand, cupping Alex's face and watching her eyes shut. She stepped closer until their bodies barely touched, bringing her other hand to rest nervously on Alex's hip. She craned her neck just a bit to kiss Alex on the side of the mouth, then the other side, until her lips finally landed on Alex's thicker ones. Alex finally removed her hands from behind her back and placed them on Piper's upper arms as the kiss deepened.

 _No, no, no_ …

Before she knew it, Piper was devouring her mouth, tongue wedged deep inside, exploring every nook and cranny and relishing in the taste of cinnamon on her breath. Alex's hands traveled up Piper's neck and into her hair, tugging at blonde strands so that Piper would unlock their lips and she could wreak havoc on her neck. She felt Alex's teeth against her skin at the same time she felt wetness pool in her underwear.

 _Yes, yes, yes_ …

She pulled back, grabbing Alex's cheeks with both hands and breathing heavily. "I've wanted this since the moment we met. You need to know that, Alex."

She let out a light chuckle. "I do."

"But no one can know about this." Piper rubbed her thumb against her cheek. "…about _us_."

"They won't." The way Alex looked her in the eyes was a promise.

Piper gulped as she continued to stare into hazel eyes, knowing full-well that she was about to cross a sacred line. She looked away for a moment, trying to convince herself that she should walk away, but no part of Piper wanted that—not her mind, her heart or her body. Her inner angel wouldn't win this battle. She looked back up at Alex and saw desire in her eyes.

As if Alex could see the hesitation in Piper's eyes, she made the decision to lean forward and fuse their mouths together again. She shoved her hands under her teacher's shirt, gathering the material on her forearms as she rolled it over Piper's head. Mouths still latched, Alex reached around and unhooked Piper's bra, freeing her breasts and bending down to suck a taut nipple into her warm mouth.

Piper writhed with pleasure, pulling Alex closer with both hands on the back of her head. Before she knew it, Alex's hand reached past her waistband, into her pants. It was a quick, harsh movement that made Piper scream her name. Alex's middle finger drug along her slit, and Piper could feel her smile against her breast.

"You feel good," Alex breathed out in a thick breath against her skin.

She tugged Alex's head back up until they were eye to eye, both of their breaths rushing in and out. Their mouths crashed together again, this time in a more intimate kiss. Alex resumed the movement of her finger inside of Piper, and she bucked into her hand.

"I'm…just a little more, Alex… _fuck_!" Piper's orgasm rolled through her with great force, and she couldn't stop yelling Alex's name as her student pumped two fingers inside of her until the orgasm subsided.

"Jesus, Alex," Piper panted, arm resting on her forehead and body slumped against the wall.

Alex smirked. "That was quick."

Piper resumed kissing her and used all the force she had to flip positions. She bent down to snake a hand under Alex's dress, pulling her underwear aside to feel if she was wet. " _Mmmm_."

"You do that to me," Alex whispered, hand running through blonde hair. " _Every fucking day_."

Piper dropped to her knees, shoving the material of Alex's dress past her hips and her underwear to the side. She looked up at Alex and saw _craving_ on her face. She went in for one lick, tongue saturated with Alex's juices. Piper licked her lips, thoroughly enjoying the way her student tasted. She went in for a second, third and fourth lick until her mouth was buried inside of Alex's pussy. Alex moaned as she stretched her hands out to Piper's head, essentially fucking her mouth with deep thrusts. Piper bit her clit, eliciting a cry of pleasure from her student, and then Alex came hard against her mouth.

"Holy fuck." Alex crumbled to the ground, and both women laid in a heap of sex on the floor.

She wiped her mouth with Alex's dress and then went in for a gentle kiss. She rubbed Alex's cheek with the back of her fingers. "When I woke up this morning, I did _not_ expect to end the day like this."

That warranted a solid laugh. "Neither did I."

They stared into each other's eyes as their hands caressed whatever bare skin they could find.

"You're good at that," Alex commented with a grin.

"Yeah?" Piper blushed. "Well, you have very talented fingers."

She lifted one eyebrow. "I also have a very talented tongue." She slithered down Piper's body, dragging her pants down with her.

Just the sight of Alex between her legs was enough to make Piper cum a second time.

Alex made love to her, alternating between one and two fingers inside, mouth never leaving her center. When Alex spread her lips open and covered her entire pussy with her mouth, Piper had another orgasm, this one less vocal but equally intense.

As Alex sat up, she kicked her prized sculpture, breaking one small branch. "Fuck." She picked up the four-inch branch and three copper leaves.

Piper quickly sat up. "Shit, I'm sorry!"

"Are you fucking kidding?" Alex smiled, placing the branch on the table. "That was _so_ worth it."

The women got dressed wordlessly, stealing kisses here and there, and then exited the art studio as inconspicuously as possible. Piper didn't know if there were security cameras around, so just in case, she tossed her sweater over her head so that her face wouldn't be shown on a screen in some basement where a horny security guard watched her sneak out of the building.

When they got into the parking lot, Alex gently shoved Piper against her car, pressing her body into her. "I want to spend the night together."

Piper bit her lip. "I'm not so sure about that."

"I am." Alex nipped on her ear, warm breath making it impossible to say no.

"Just this one time," Piper moaned.

They didn't make it past the living room without fucking another two times. By the time they made it to the bed, it was close to two in the morning.

"We have school tomorrow," Piper announced, naked, spent body splayed on top of Alex's.

"You have to act as if nothing happened." Alex's hands combed through blonde hair. "Think you can do that?"

She groaned against Alex's breast. "I just can't look directly at you."

"I can skip your class if you want."

"I don't want that." She propped her chin on Alex's chest. "I want to see your face whenever humanly possible."

Alex gave her a tender smile. "Me, too."

All Piper could think about as she drifted off to sleep was that sex with Alex was worth any consequence she might face.


	6. Chapter 6

There was no denying her exhaustion that Friday at school—Piper had slept a total of two hours the night before—but there was also no way to hide the grin on her face after having had sex for the past 12 hours with the girl she'd _wanted_ since first laying eyes on her that summer.

Alex had borrowed some of her clothes in order to go to school that day in an outfit other than the one she'd worn to the art show. She'd chosen a pair of Piper's corduroy pants and a long-sleeved shirt that wrapped tightly around her breasts. When she breezed into the Humanities classroom, Piper had to look away as she felt her body heat up. With a simple blink, she flashed to a moment earlier that morning when one of her legs was hooked over Alex's shoulder.

"Good morning, everyone," she began, looking at anyone other than Alex. "Who wants to begin our discussion about chapters six through ten?"

Piper allowed the class to reach for their novels and notebooks as they settled in, while she tried to keep her eyes open at her desk. Alex winked at her at one point, and she had to rub her neck for fear that the blush creeping up it would give them away. When class was over, Alex didn't approach her—she slinked out of the back door quietly, licking her lips.

By the end of the day, Piper was about to keel over. As she walked to her car, her phone chirped. _Are you as tired as I am? Wanna take a nap with me?_

She smiled as she typed her response: _Do you really think we'd sleep if we were in bed together?_

Alex wrote: _Knowing how tired we are, I'd say yes._

She climbed into her car. _You're welcome to come over, but I need SLEEP_.

Piper drove the quick jaunt home, pulse racing at the thought of being in bed with Alex again that afternoon. By the time she arrived, Alex had already beaten her there. The women smiled at each other through car windows, and Alex fluttered her fingers in a small wave.

"Promise me, we'll sleep," Piper greeted as they walked to the front door, body lilting towards her student.

"Promise." She put a hand on Piper's hip, squeezing with just enough force to prove otherwise.

She unlocked the door and stepped inside, throwing her bag to the side. No sooner had she shut the door than Alex was pinning her against it, kissing her authoritatively.

"This is not what sleep looks like," Piper complained against her mouth, pulling Alex's lower lip with her own.

"Mmm," Alex moaned. "I've been dying to do that all day." She pecked Piper's lips twice before pulling back and brushing blonde hair out of her face. "Now we can sleep."

Piper grinned up at her, thinking exactly the same thing but not fessing up. She led Alex upstairs to the bedroom, pulled the covers back, stripped down to nothing, and crawled in. "God, this feels so good."

Alex, who had begun removing her clothes as she climbed the stairs, scooted onto the bed behind Piper, draping an arm and a leg over her warm body. "It does."

Within a matter of minutes, both women drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Although Piper had planned to have a conversation with the headmaster about switching teaching assignments or going to an inverted classroom model, she had yet to schedule an appointment with him. She was too consumed with everything else in her life, like grad school classes, teaching, grading papers, and how to best navigate her relationship with Alex. She knew she had a lousy poker face, and if the headmaster asked her to explain her reasons for wanting to change things up, Piper didn't know if she'd be able to convince him it was "just because." No, she needed a bigger, more persuasive reason than that. The closer she and Alex grew, the more she considered straight-up quitting at the end of the semester.

Another two weeks passed, and the holidays were upon them. Every day that flew by, Piper fell more in love with Alex, but she dared not mention those intense feelings to anyone, including Alex. Their intellect was quite similar, despite the younger woman having only been in high school. Alex's calm temperament complemented Piper's sometimes impatient and rash one. She was a big fan of surprises, which Piper loved, and she always kept the blonde on her toes. Each time they made love was different—sometimes it was soft and sweet, while other times it was hard and dirty. Piper couldn't get enough of Alex's body and wished they could be together every night.

The only controversial topic that surfaced between them was what they should do about their teacher/student predicament. Every time the subject came up, Piper's stomach churned—she'd avoided examining what she was doing too closely, because if she _did_ , she knew she'd have to break things off out of moral obligation. All of her life, Piper had done the right thing, and this time, it was more than a little thrilling to do the opposite. The devil on her shoulder seemed to be in charge of her actions.

Alex had no idea that Piper had been considering ways to avoid being her teacher, and Piper kept it that way for the time being. She didn't want Alex to worry about how to proceed with their relationship, because she knew Alex would feel guilty about not getting her GED, which could potentially solve their dilemma. She decided that whatever path she chose, she'd tell Alex _after_ the decision was made.

Piper decided not to go to Connecticut for Thanksgiving, because she had a 20-page paper due in one of her graduate school classes the Friday after, so Alex invited her to celebrate the holiday with her and her mother. Piper wasn't too keen on meeting her young lover's mom, but Alex had assured her that her mom "would be cool." Piper wasn't convinced—how could a mother be ok with her daughter fucking her teacher?

Nevertheless, they decided to make introductions on Thanksgiving Day and to confess that they were in a relationship. Alex had told her mom that she'd started seeing someone, but Diane hadn't asked many questions. They agreed that they'd only reveal their day-to-day relationship after Diane met Piper.

Piper intentionally dressed "younger" before heading to Alex's house—jeans and a white t-shirt under a flannel button-up. The last thing she wanted was for Diane to assume she was older than her daughter, even though the four-year age difference was insignificant in Piper's eyes.

Alex had warned her that she lived in a dumpy duplex "on the other side of town," but Piper didn't care about that—she just wanted to be with Alex and make a good impression on her mother.

"It's nice to meet you," Diane greeted with a two-handed handshake. "Alex talks about you all the time."

Piper thought Alex might chastise her mom for making such a statement; instead, Alex responded, "I do" with a bashful smile.

"Come on in. I've got some Lil Smokies on the counter if you're hungry." Diane made her way towards the kitchen, motioning for Piper to follow. "Alex will get you something to drink."

"Oh, I almost forgot." Piper set a bag on the counter. "I brought a bottle of red and white wine. I didn't know which you preferred."

"You didn't have to do that!" Diane peeked inside the bag, but then her head popped up. "Are you old enough to buy booze?"

Piper scratched her head and averted her eyes, forgetting that she probably shouldn't have brought alcohol. "Yeah, I am."

"I buy wine for you all the time, mom," Alex answered cooly. "It's one of the reasons I got a fake ID."

Piper felt Alex's hand on her lower back and was thankful for the younger woman's presence.

"My rule is that Alex can drink at home on special occasions, but not out in public," Diane said, grabbing a wine opener from a drawer. "Seeing that it's Thanksgiving, we can all have a little wine."

She took the opener from her mother. "I'll open it."

Piper was glad to have avoided the age difference conversation right off the bat. She knew that issue would surface, but she hoped it would be well into the evening before things got serious.

As Alex poured three glasses of Pinot Noir, Piper observed her surroundings. The living room had shag carpeting, and the plaid sofa and loveseat looked like the ones on old television shows. The furnishings in both the living room and kitchen made the house feel like it was straight out of the 70s, yet there was a warmth inside like Piper had never experienced. Sure, her grandmother's house had always felt warm and welcoming, but not like this. Perhaps it was because the duplex was so small, but it felt like home.

The intoxicating smell of turkey, baked sweet potatoes and a pecan pie made Piper feel completely at ease, and in an odd, surprising way, _loved_. She wanted to sit next to Alex on the sofa and curl up under the thick blanket draped over the back.

The women discussed books, Alex's art, and the weather, and it almost seemed like Alex had warned her mom to not ask about Piper's profession or her upbringing. (She'd told Alex about her childhood one rainy Sunday afternoon, and Piper had asked that they not discuss it regularly.)

Once the turkey was ready, Alex and Piper set the table and lit a few candles. They stole glances throughout the afternoon, and there were times when Piper wanted to pull Alex into a back room and devour her. Most of the time, though, she reflected on how sweet Alex and her mother's relationship was. It was clear that they depended on each other and genuinely enjoyed each other's company.

"I don't think I've ever had a turkey this moist," Piper commented around a bite.

"You're being too nice!" Diane replied with the flick of her wrist.

"Green bean casserole has always been my favorite," Alex said.

"We've got all this delicious, homemade food," Diane began, pointing her fork at Alex. "And _she_ likes the canned green beans, Campbell's cream of mushroom soup and crunchy onions out of a bag. I don't get it."

Piper smiled and put her hand on Alex's thigh under the table. "True, but it _is_ really good."

They ate until stuffing themselves silly, not saving enough room for the pecan pie. Alex and Piper offered to do the dishes while Diane got off her feet for a bit. She turned on the football game in the living room, while Piper poured Diane another glass of wine, finishing the bottle.

"You sure I can't help in there?" Diane asked, accepting the full glass.

"You made a delicious meal—it's the least we can do," she protested.

Diane let out a long breath and sunk deeper into the sofa. "Thanks, kid."

Alex shoved every last dish into the dishwasher, and when the kitchen was mostly clean, she pinned Piper against the counter, running her hands down her back.

"Thank you for making today memorable," Alex whispered into her ear before kissing a trail down her neck.

"You and your mom are the ones who did that." She tilted her head, eyes fluttering shut. "I just benefitted from your generosity...and your mom's wonderful cooking."

In one quick motion, Alex hoisted her onto the counter, taking Piper by surprise. She rubbed her thighs as she looked up with an unsteady smile. "Are you ready to tell her?"

Everything had been going so well that Piper had forgotten that they'd agreed to tell Diane the truth about their student/teacher relationship. "Do we have to?"

"Yes." Alex punctuated the statement with raised eyebrows. "We can't have her find out some other way; that would be devastating for all of us."

Piper exhaled loudly, feeling deflated after such a wonderful day. She knew Alex was right—they had to tell Diane the truth, but ripping the Band Aid off wasn't going to be pleasant.

Alex kissed her once more, and then helped her off the counter. She led Piper into the living room, picked up the TV remote control and pressed mute.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Diane complained, blinking rapidly as if she'd been dozing off.

"Mom, there's something we need to tell you," Alex exhaled an uneasy breath.

"I don't like the sound of that." She sat up straighter, eyes dashing between her daughter and Piper. "What's going on?"

"You trust me, right?"

Diane crinkled her forehead. "You know I do."

"And now, I hope you can see why I like Piper so much." Alex ran one hand through her dark hair and grabbed Piper's hand with the other.

Her mom shrugged. "Yeah, so what's the problem?"

"Piper is a teacher…" She swallowed hard. "She's _my_ teacher."

"Wha…" Diane let out a puff of air as if the wind had been knocked out of her. "That can't be…she looks like she's your age!"

"She's 22," Alex replied, squeezing Piper's hand. "And graduated from college in June. She's enrolled in a graduate program at the university and is teaching at Newton part-time."

Diane leaned forward and eyed Piper. "You're her _teacher_?"

"I am, but Alex doesn't need a teacher in Humanities…her knowledge is far beyond a typical high school student," Piper tried, feeling her pulse accelerate. "Your daughter is extremely intelligent and wise beyond her years."

"No shit; why do you think I trust her so much?" Diane stood, putting a hand on her forehead. "This is _not_..." She trailed off, shaking her head. "How did this happen?"

Piper looked up at Alex, wondering who should answer the question and hoping the younger woman would take a stab at it.

"It didn't happen at school, if that's what you're thinking," Alex began, releasing her hand. "Piper came to the coffee shop a few times this summer, and we just sort of hit it off. I didn't tell her I was in high school."

"I thought Alex was my age; maybe even a little older." Piper sat on the edge of the sofa, fearing her legs would wobble if she remained standing. "I told her I was a teacher, I just didn't mention that it was at Newton."

"You didn't see the relevance?" Diane spat out.

"How could she have?" Alex shrugged, exageratting the motion of her shoulders and raising her palms in the air. "Even if I would've told Piper that I was in high school, she'd have no fucking clue where I went to school!"

"I can assure you, Diane, if I would've known that your daughter was my student, I would've backed off immediately." Piper wrung her hands together. "But by the time we realized it, we'd already made a connection."

"This has disaster written all over it." Diane shook her head and put her hands on her hips. "You can't stay together."

"We're not breaking up," Alex replied with conviction.

"I'm quitting my job." Piper stood and looked directly at Diane. She hadn't wanted to make such a definitive announcement without informing Alex beforehand, but the situation warranted a quick, effective solution. "The semester ends in three weeks. I'll tell the headmaster I won't be back in January."

" _What?"_

She swiveled her neck and looked at Alex with defeated eyes. "Your mom is right—this could be catastrophic for both of us. I could go to jail."

"You're not Mary Kay _fucking_ Letourneau!" Alex shouted.

"A judge won't care _who_ I am, or that I'm only four years older than you." She took both of Alex's hands in hers. "You are my _student_ , Alex, and to anyone on the outside, it's going to be seen as me abusing my authority."

"That's bullshit," Alex spat with a fury Piper had never witnessed.

"She's right," Diane chimed in, staring at her daughter. "Al, you have to let her quit." She turned towards Piper. "After what I've seen today, I believe that you really do care for my daughter, but the two of you need to stay far fucking apart until Alex finishes high school."

Piper nodded and looked at the ground. Diane was right, and she knew it. Hell, _Alex_ knew it, but staying apart was going to be pure agony.

Alex folded her arms and jutted her leg out. Piper could sense that she wanted to defend their relationship even further, but she remained silent.

Diane placed a hand on her daughter's arm and looked her sternly in the eye. "I'm glad you told me, hon, because something deep inside that smart brain of yours has been clogged by your feelings."

"We can do this, Alex." Her eyes stung from held-back tears, but she refused to cry in front of both women. "I don't want to disrespect you as a student or Diane as your mother."

"I could get my GED," Alex offered without gusto.

Piper smiled softly. "I can't let you do that."

"She's right, kid." Diane sighed. "You can't make your art if you don't go to school."

Alex turned her attention back towards Piper. "How are _you_ going to make money?"

"My parents pay for my education, and I live in my grandma's house, so I don't have to pay rent," she replied. "I can ask them to give me a few hundred bucks a month to pay for bills and food."

"Will they do that?"

"Yeah." Piper nodded. "For a limited time, they will. If I can get another part-time job, that would help, too."

"Now you're thinking with your head," Diane put a hand on each woman's shoulder. "I know this has been weighing on your minds for a while, kids, but you have to do what's right."

Piper couldn't drag her eyes away from the hazel ones across from her. She felt a tear drip down her cheek and swatted it away, pissed that she couldn't keep her feelings in check. All three of them were silent for a moment, and the only sound was that of the dishwasher gurgling in the kitchen.

Piper looked at her feet, embarrassed by the whole situation. "I should go."

Alex bit hard on her back teeth. "You don't have to leave yet."

"Al…" Her mom gave her a warning look.

"Diane, thank you for welcoming me into your home." She faced the older woman and wiped away another tear. "I want what's best for Alex."

Diane pulled Piper into a deep embrace. "I know you do, kid."

Piper walked towards the door, Alex on her heels.

"Let's talk later tonight," she sniffed. "But after today, we can't."

"We can't even _talk_?" Alex huffed and looked into the distance as if she couldn't believe this was happening. "This is fucking ridiculous."

She shrugged. "We knew what the outcome would be."

Alex's eyes finally met hers. "You shouldn't have to quit your job."

"I never wanted to teach high school anyway," she offered with a crooked smile.

Alex folded her into her arms.

"We'll talk later." She pulled back, kissed Alex softly on the mouth one last time, and then walked to her car without looking back, eyes once again brimming with tears.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: You guys are overwhelming me with support of this story! Thank you SO much! One final chapter after this one. I hope to post it on Sunday, but it might not be until Monday morning. Both this chapter and the last one are 10 pages long.

 **This chapter is rated Mature.**

* * *

Piper didn't know who was more upset about her quitting Newton, her father or the headmaster. She didn't want to face either man in the near future, and she never set foot back on Newton's campus once Winter Break was upon them, nor did she go home to Connecticut that Christmas. Instead, Piper visited a friend in Manhattan through New Year's Day and tried to keep Alex off her mind.

Even though Piper was no longer employed at Newton, she knew Diane was right about her and Alex needing to stay apart for the immediate future. If they were caught _coupling_ , a bothered family or even an angry faculty member could still wreak havoc on Piper's life. The last thing they needed was to have anyone, including the media, digging into their illicit relationship and discovering when it began.

Piper deleted Alex's number from her phone so that she wouldn't be tempted to contact her in a moment of weakness. She assumed that Alex had done the same, because by the end of January, neither woman had reached out to the other. Though the holidays were lonely, the month of January was even worse. Piper spent most of her free time at the university and stayed away from The Muddy Cup. She'd never even been to the bookstore where Alex held a second job, so that wasn't an immediate temptation.

Her father had begrudgingly sent an extra $200 that month, but he'd warned her that "she'd have to make it on her own" by the end of winter. As luck would have it, one of her professors needed a graduate student assistant to help with grading papers and holding a weekly recitation session, and the pay was $15/hour. Piper jumped at the opportunity, even if it was only 10 hours per week.

The cold, winter evenings were miserable—she thought about Alex at every turn and discovered that the saying, "time heals all wounds" was a crock of shit. She hadn't seen Alex since Thanksgiving, and the last time they'd spoken was pretty much a sob-fest. The only thing that improved was the lack of daily tears. Piper had cried herself to sleep for about two weeks, until she finally had to have a mental talk with herself to act like an adult. Besides, she told herself, they weren't technically breaking up—they needed to put time and distance between them so that they could eventually be a _normal_ couple.

Piper had never told Alex that she was in love with her—that realization was locked deep inside. In fact, she'd tried to convince herself that wasn't the case—that she just enjoyed spending time with Alex, and of course, having sex with her. However, as time marched on, Piper recognized that she was only fooling herself to try to minimize the pain. She _was_ in love with Alex, and she didn't see that changing even without her former student in her life.

Piper and Alex hadn't set a date when they could contact each other again, but she assumed it would be after Alex graduated from Newton so as to avoid any speculation about them having been in a relationship while Piper had taught at the school.

By mid-February, Piper had made a couple of new friends at the university. One of those friends, Heidi, was in the same graduate program as Piper but had studied Art History as an undergrad at Williams. Heidi was very much into the national art scene and often traveled across the country to see specific exhibits. Perhaps one of the main reasons Piper wanted to hang out with her often was because Heidi's love of art reminded her of Alex. Her boyfriend was a working artist who lived in Portland, Maine, and Piper was looking forward to meeting him the following weekend at a gallery opening.

* * *

Although the drive to Portland was a mere 30 minutes, Heidi convinced Piper to spend the night at her boyfriend's house that Saturday night. There would be alcohol served at the art show, and neither woman wanted to risk driving back to Biddeford even a little tipsy. Heidi's boyfriend lived alone in a two-bedroom townhouse, and he'd insisted upon Piper staying overnight in the guest room.

"Piper, this is Brandon," Heidi announced as the long-haired man greeted them at the door.

Piper shook his hand. "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"You, too. I've heard a lot about you. I'm glad you could make it to the show." Brandon smiled, tossing an arm around his girlfriend. "Make yourself at home. I have to be at the gallery in 20 minutes."

"I'll show you the guest bedroom." Heidi picked up Piper's bag and proceeded to a room with easels and paint supplies strewn about the small space. "I asked him to clean up," she huffed.

"Don't worry about it," Piper offered. "There's a bed—that's all I need."

"I want to go to the gallery early if that's alright with you." Heidi walked into the hallway. "I haven't seen Brandon's new stuff, so I'd like to get a sneak peek before it gets too crowded."

"Sure." She smiled. "I'll be ready whenever you are."

Piper admired Brandon's unfinished paintings in the guestroom and was immediately reminded of Alex's art. Although she was no expert, she'd put Alex's work up against his any day. There was a small part of her that hoped Alex would be at the gallery that night. Piper knew she shouldn't _want_ to run into Alex unexpectedly, but just to see her from a distance would be nice.

The women arrived at the downtown gallery just before 7 p.m., and there was already a small crowd that had shown up for the grand opening. Piper learned that Brandon's work was not going to be the only art on display that evening—there were four featured artists, all of whom used different techniques and materials.

The space was beautiful—it was an old warehouse that had been renovated into a modern gallery. Except for the hardwood floors and colorful art, everything was painted white. There were two levels, and on the main level, two artists showed their work, each hosting a bar with signature cocktails.

"I'm going to find Brandon," Heidi announced as soon as they stepped inside. "He's on the second floor—take your time down here."

"I'll be up there soon."

As Piper made her way to the first bar, snagging one of the complimentary cranberry cocktails, she saw a tall, dark haired woman out of the corner of her eye, and her heart skipped a beat. She was about to take a step in the woman's direction, but before she could change her course, the woman turned around and was most definitely _not_ Alex. Her enthusiasm dissipated, and Piper turned her attention to the art hanging on the walls.

The theme of that particular artist's work was weightlessness. She read the placards next to each of the photographs and was impressed with the concept as well as the design. As she made her way into the second artist's space, she heard someone call her name. She turned around to see Saroj standing a mere five feet away, holding two drinks.

"What a lovely surprise," the exotic woman said in her thick accent as she leaned in to kiss her on both cheeks.

"Saroj, hi." Piper hadn't expected to run into anyone she knew at the gallery, so to see one of Alex's friends was surprising and a bit heart-wrenching.

"What are you doing here, besides admiring the art?" Saroj asked with a wide smile.

"A friend of mine is dating one of the artists, Brandon Prescott," she replied, shoving one hand into her trouser pants.

"I'm familiar with Brandon's work. In fact, I was just headed up there to check out his display," Saroj announced. "Join me?"

She didn't have a chance to reply before Saroj headed towards the stairs and waited with one foot on the first step for Piper to join her.

"Have you seen Alex lately?" Saroj asked as if she were completely unaware of their situation.

Piper's pulse quickened at the mention of her name. She was careful not to spill her cocktail as she climbed the stairs and felt her hands begin to twitch. "No, I haven't."

"She should be here any minute." Saroj reached the second floor, but Piper was glued to the third step from the top.

Piper grasped the handrail to steady herself as her mouth hung open.

The exotic woman set one drink on a bench next to the stairwell, and then touched Piper's hand. "Are you alright?"

She blinked several times. "Yeah," she tried, clearing her throat. "I'm fine."

"Maggie is over here. I'm sure she'd like to say hello."

Piper swallowed hard and tried to regain her composure. "I have to use the restroom first. Do you know where it is?"

She pointed towards the far end of the gallery. "Just over there. I'll see you in Brandon's section when you're done."

Piper rushed towards the bathroom and was reminded of the time when she'd felt similarly at Newton upon discovering that she was falling in love with Alex. This time, however, she didn't have to throw up—she felt sick to her stomach, but she was more concerned about fainting. Piper entered the restroom and leaned heavily against the door, closing her eyes.

While she had fantasized about running into Alex that night, no part of her was prepared to _actually_ see her. She knew this day would come, but she didn't think she'd be caught so off guard. She wondered if she should leave before bumping into her former lover. She could text Heidi, tell her she wasn't feeling well, and go back to Brandon's townhouse unscathed for the most part. Piper pushed herself off the closed door and turned on the faucet, letting the cold water drip on her hands and wrists. She placed one wet hand on the back of her neck and closed her eyes again.

Someone entered the bathroom, startling her.

"There you are, I was just…" Heidi stopped short. "You don't look so good."

"I got really dizzy." Piper gulped, realizing how dry her throat had become. "I'm sorry, Heidi, but I can't stay here."

"Did something happen?" Her friend laid a hand on her forehead as if to take her temperature. "You're white as a ghost."

She looked at herself in the mirror—all of the color had drained from her face. "I need to get some air."

"There's a rooftop patio," Heidi replied, concern etched on her face. "It has those big, outdoor heaters, and it's less crowded. I'll meet you up there after I pee."

Piper shook her head. "I mean, I need to leave the gallery."

"Please, stay just a little longer. They're about to do an introduction of the artists." Heidi squeezed her hand. "Get some fresh air, and if you're not feeling better in a few minutes, I'll take you back to Brandon's place."

She nodded but wanted desperately to bolt out of there. Piper walked as quickly as she could to the set of stairs at the back of the building. She kept her head down in hopes of not being caught by Saroj or Maggie, though she would have loved to have talked to them under normal circumstances to enquire about Alex's well-being. When she made it to the sign pointing towards the rooftop patio, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Heidi had been right—there were only a handful of people up there, and it was much cooler, though the heaters provided sufficient warmth. Piper took several deep breaths and made her way to the bar. Perhaps if she had a stiff drink, she'd be able to relax enough to withstand another 10 minutes at the gallery.

"Vodka rocks, please."

The bartender poured the drink, and Piper squeezed a lime into it. "Thank you." She took a swig, blanching at the astringent taste but didn't waste time before taking another sip.

Piper's mind raced with images of Alex—in her desk at school, working behind the counter at the coffee shop, grinning up at her in bed, head bobbing between Piper's legs. With every blink, she saw Alex in a different light. More than just _seeing_ Alex, Piper missed talking to her. They'd had conversations about everything from literature to art to nature to politics. Piper had enjoyed listening to Alex's thoughts on the books she read and the art she made, and she desperately missed the sound of her voice.

"Piper?" Her name vibrated in the air.

 _The sound of her voice_.

She slowly turned to see the once familiar woman standing at the top of the stairwell, hand wrapped around the handrail. Piper shook her head, refusing to believe that the moment was real. Surely, it had to be the alcohol that had gone straight to her head—Alex couldn't be standing ten feet away.

 _Piper,_ came out this time like a profound realization. "What are you doing here?"

"I…" it wasn't surprising that she couldn't find her voice. She bowed her head and tucked her hair behind one ear. "I'm here with a friend of mine—her boyfriend is…" Her thoughts swirled with disconnected words that puddled in her mind. She looked back up, and Alex was now standing a foot in front of her.

Piper shut her eyes for a couple of seconds, trying to ignore the gravitational pull towards the other woman. She swallowed hard as she tried to continue. "Her boyfriend is one of the artists featured tonight," she finally choked out. "You look…" Piper's eyes dragged up and down, unable to refrain from commenting on how _hot_ Alex looked in black leather pants and a slightly unbuttoned, silky blouse.

" _You_ look…" she replied, reaching for Piper's face.

The second Alex's fingers cupped her cheek, Piper's eyes slammed shut again, and she clasped her glass so hard, she thought it might shatter. She felt the slow rhythm of Alex's thumb against her face, and once again, Piper became woozy. "I need to sit down."

Alex grabbed her wrist and led her to the nearest sofa. Both women sat, and Piper placed her drink on the side table.

Alex's hand landed on her thigh. "Are you ok?"

She shook her head and pulled away. "I don't think I can handle you touching me right now."

Alex stood. "I'm going to get you a glass of water."

With a sinking feeling in her stomach at watching Alex's retreating form, Piper never wanted to see her walk away from her again. She hadn't wanted to leave Alex in the first place, and in that moment, the excruciating pain associated with letting her go flooded back. She couldn't— _wouldn't_ —go through that again.

"Drink this." She handed her the glass and sat down again.

Piper gulped the water until the glass was nearly empty. "Thank you."

"Better?"

"Yeah." She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, but how are you so unaffected by seeing me?"

"Are you fucking kidding?" Alex let out a short laugh. "I'm affected as all hell."

"It doesn't seem like it." She set her water glass next to the other one, noticing that she wasn't shaking the way she'd been minutes earlier.

"I have a cool exterior," Alex offered with a playful smile. "But I'm trembling on the inside."

Piper reached for her former student's hand, unable to keep the distance any longer. She grasped it in both of hers and stared at their linked hands, tears prickling her eyes. Sitting that close to Alex without touching didn't seem to be an option.

"I've missed you _so_ much." Piper's voice quivered as she looked up and watched Alex's face soften.

"You have _no idea_ ," Alex replied, cupping her cheek once again, but then quickly pulling back. "Sorry, my hands are like magnets to you."

Piper grabbed her wrist, pulling her hand back to rest on her jawline. "It's ok." She blinked, relishing in the feel of Alex's soft palm against her cheek.

"Hey, feeling any better?" Heidi approached from behind. "Whoa, sorry, I…"

Alex removed her hand as Piper twisted around to see her friend standing a few feet away.

There was no way out of the awkward moment, so Piper replied simply, "Hi, Heidi. This is Alex."

Alex's hand barely left her lap in a perfunctory wave. "Hey."

Heidi's eyes scurried between both of them. "I clearly interrupted a moment between…"

"I'm her girlfriend," Alex blurted out as if she needed to explain the weight of who she was.

Piper's eyes shot open as she stared at the woman next to her. On one hand, she was shocked that Alex would use such a term—they'd never referred to each other as _girlfriend_ before. On the other hand, she was surprisingly turned on to hear Alex label their relationship with such conviction.

"Oh, um…" Heidi scratched her head as she glanced at Piper. "I had no idea you had a girlfriend."

"I _did_ ," she replied, and then thought better of it. Alex deserved a bone after putting herself on a limb. "I _do_."

Alex squeezed her hand and tossed her a grin. "It's complicated."

"Aren't all relationships?" Heidi offered with a compulsory smile. "I was just checking on you, but it seems like you're feeling better, so I'll just go back downstairs."

"Wait." Piper stood and put a hand on Heidi's elbow. "I'll explain later, but yes, I'm feeling better."

"Ok."

Piper got the impression that Heidi couldn't wait to get the hell out of there. Hands on her hips, she spun around to face a still-seated Alex. "So, you're my _girlfriend_?"

"I am." She opened her legs, tugging Piper by the back of her thighs to step in between them. "At least for tonight."

She looked down at a smug Alex—her neck begged for attention, and Piper wanted to kiss every inch of milky white skin.

She placed her hands on dark hair, tilting Alex's face up. "I don't want to be your girlfriend for just one night."

Alex kissed the inside of her wrist. "Has enough time passed for it to _not_ be just one night?"

Piper swooned over the feel of Alex's warm lips on her skin. "Probably not."

She placed a final kiss on Piper's hand before looking up again. "Do I sense a 'but' coming?"

"We should go somewhere more private to talk," Piper tried, feeling her body heat up as Alex rubbed the back of her knee with one hand.

Alex lifted one eyebrow. " _Talking_? Is that what you want to do in private?"

 _God, no_ , she thought. She wanted Alex to take her to the parking lot or to some other place with less humans and fuck her senseless. Instead, she replied weakly, "Yes."

Alex pulled the hand that was on the back of Piper's leg hard enough for her knees to give out, landing at first squarely on top of Alex's thighs. She closed her legs a bit and spread Piper's knees with one motion until her former teacher was straddling her lap. Then, she reached up and grabbed Piper's face, pulling it down until their lips met in a desperate kiss.

Piper couldn't think straight—all she knew was that she was getting the _shit_ kissed out of her by the woman she'd wanted for months. Her hands tangled in dark hair and she felt Alex's hands slide up to rest on her ass. Piper knew she was letting out primal sounds, but she couldn't help herself—Alex's tongue was in her mouth, and she tasted like heaven.

Minutes later, they rested their foreheads together as they caught their breath.

"I should probably get off you." Piper tried to swing one leg around, but Alex put a hand on her knee, preventing her from going anywhere.

"Not yet." Alex's tongue rimmed the shell of her ear, and Piper shivered at the sensation.

Finally, she pushed her palms against Alex's chest. "I really need to get off before this becomes a porno."

"I love girl-on-girl porn." She smirked as she helped Piper sit properly on the sofa next to her. "You have to admit; this was inevitable."

Piper rested her head on Alex's shoulder, holding her other hand across her body. "You think?"

"I _know_." She kissed the top of Piper's head. "Every scenario I've played out in my head about seeing you for the first time ended with a kiss."

"Just a kiss?" Piper grinned up at her.

"Correction." Alex smirked. "Every scenario _began_ with a kiss."

She toyed with a long strand of black hair. "You've thought about this? I mean, seeing me after all this time?"

"Of course, I did," Alex confessed. "Didn't you?"

She nodded. "I just never thought it would be at an out-of-town art gallery. I thought it would be somewhere in Biddeford, like the grocery store or something."

They remained silent for several minutes, Piper hyper-aware of Alex's hands, touching her wherever she thought was somewhat appropriate for their _not private_ location on the rooftop patio.

"I want to be with you, Piper," she whispered into her ear. "For more than just one night."

She brought Alex's hand up to her mouth, kissing the back of it. "I want that, too."

"Then, let's come up with a plan."

They stared into each other's eyes, and Piper nodded. To hell with the rest of the world—she refused to be apart from Alex for another godforsaken day.

They spent the rest of the evening as a couple—holding hands, stealing kisses and enjoying each other's company. Piper caught up with Maggie and Saroj, who made her promise _not to be a stranger_ and insisted upon making dinner for her and Alex in a couple of weeks. Piper re-introduced Alex to Heidi, allowing the two of them, along with Brandon, to discover friends in the art world that they had in common.

For the next two hours, Piper didn't allow herself to think about a plan to be in a relationship with Alex—they could discuss that the next day. Besides, even if someone from Newton School was at the gallery and saw them together, Piper would not be held responsible for her actions with her _former_ student. Alex was 18, and the law stated that she could be in a relationship with another consenting adult.

"Take me home," Piper breathed into her ear as the crowd thinned out.

Alex's fingertips trailed down her arm, giving her goosebumps. "I thought you'd never ask."

"Give me one minute." Piper explained the situation to Heidi, not giving away the fact that she'd been Alex's teacher, but telling her that she and Alex had gone their separate ways for _private reasons_. She didn't care what Heidi might've thought in her head; bottom line was that she was going home with Alex that night.

They made their way from Portland to Biddeford, holding hands the entire drive, and restraining themselves from pulling over and fucking on the side of the road. Piper was going to suggest that they do just that, but she figured if she could hold out for 20 minutes, she'd be rewarded when they stepped foot in the door.

They talked about what they'd both been up to since last seeing each other, but Piper had a hard time concentrating on anything other than the way Alex's blouse gaped open just above her breasts. And her lips—the lips she wanted badly to be anywhere on her body.

No sooner were they inside the house than Alex had her hands on Piper's breasts, massaging them while kissing her firmly.

"You're so fucking hot," Alex panted, fingers winding into blonde hair.

"Those pants are going to be the death of me," Piper replied, feeling her bottom lip being tugged by Alex's teeth. "You cannot wear leather in public unless we have an escape plan to fuck in a corner or something." She snaked her hand down Alex's body until finding the zipper.

"An escape plan to fuck?" Alex helped her unbutton the pants, and then her hands began pulling at the fabric of Piper's blouse.

"Mmm hmm," Piper breathed, tossing her head back to allow Alex's lips to latch onto her neck.

Alex bit her neck, and then soothed it with her tongue. "I like where you're going with that."

They finished mostly undressing each other, both women's bras unhooked but Piper's blouse still somehow on, when Alex reached for her center.

"You still feel so good." Alex's lips made their way to a taut nipple.

Piper bucked into her hand, savoring every touch and burning with desire.

They didn't quite make it to the sofa the first time they had sex that night, but by the second time, they proceeded more civilly as they laid horizontally on the plush couch. By the time they made it into Piper's bedroom, they'd each had two healthy orgasms, and Alex showed no signs of being finished with Piper's body. By one in the morning, they finally slowed down enough to call it _making love_ rather than a straight-up fuck. Piper had been _this close_ to telling Alex she loved her then, but the words were stuck in her throat—that wasn't the time. Instead, she asked Alex to look into her eyes as she gently licked her pussy, and Piper hoped Alex could read her mind.


	8. Chapter 8

The light between the slats of the blinds caught Piper's eye, waking her from her brief slumber. She blinked slowly, realizing when she looked down that she wasn't alone. She flipped her head over on bare skin and smiled at the woman beneath her. "Tell me I'm not dreaming."

She felt the rumble of a quick laugh against her cheek.

Alex rubbed her naked back as she opened her eyes against the harsh sunlight. "You're not dreaming."

She smiled wider, inching up in bed until her lips touched Alex's. "Good."

Alex swiped blonde hair off her forehead with an index finger. "Morning."

"Morning," she whispered.

She ran her hand down the back of Piper's head. "I don't suppose there's an app that will bring us breakfast in bed."

Piper kissed her on the side of the mouth before sitting up. "No, but I'm sure there's money to be made with such an invention."

"Remind me to tell my techie friends about that idea." Alex stretched, revealing her voluptuous breasts. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I have to pee."

Alex smiled. "Oh."

Piper sat on the toilet, remembering how the evening had played out. The gallery. Saroj. Nearly passing out. Seeing Alex. Pretending to be a couple… _pretending_? Surely, that wasn't what they'd done—there was no faking what they meant to each other, but they hadn't had a conversation about what that was exactly.

She padded back into the bedroom, tugging a black camisole over her head. "Last night was…"

"Are you baiting me?" Alex asked after a pregnant pause.

Piper stood at the side of the bed. "Confusing."

She pulled the covers back as if to invite Piper back into bed, but the blonde didn't budge. Alex propped herself up on one elbow, head cradled in her hand. "The only confusing part is understanding why we can't be together now."

Piper rubbed the sheets between her thumb and forefinger. "You _know_ why."

"I _knew_ why," she stated. "But you're not my teacher any more. We're two, consenting adults."

Piper looked down at the rumpled bedding, one corner of the fitted sheet completely off. "What would your mom think?"

"She'd be impressed that we waited _this_ long," she replied matter-of-factly before sitting up, covering her breasts with the sheet as if their conversation warranted modesty. "I'm not saying we should parade around town as a couple, but we can discreetly be together."

Piper met her eyes. "You really think so?"

"Yeah, I do."

She sat on the lip of the bed, tucking one leg underneath her. "Only if your mom approves."

"My mom?" Alex let out a short huff. "She doesn't control my personal life."

Piper lifted her eyebrows. "No, but she puts a roof over your head and deserves your respect."

"Fine," she agreed. "We can talk to her today. She's off at one."

"Yeah?" A small smile surfaced on Piper's face.

"Yeah." Alex reached for her. "Now, come back to bed and play footsies with me."

Piper crawled under the sheets and pressed her body against Alex's.

"I've been wanting to tell you something," Piper confessed between kisses.

Alex brought a hand up to her face. "What?"

"It's, um…" She felt her heart rate speed up, took a deep breath and pressed on. "I love you."

A full, toothy smile crossed Alex's face. "You do?"

She nodded.

"Good, because I love you, too." She kissed Piper through a wide smile, and the kiss intensified enough for the women to _show_ each other how much love they felt.

* * *

After having sex all morning and into the early afternoon, the women drove to Alex's house to talk to Diane about their future. Alex didn't seem to understand Piper's urgency, but she chalked it up to Piper always wanting to do the right thing.

"We should've eaten something before we left," Alex commented as she turned into the driveway.

Piper covered her roaring belly. "Was that my stomach?"

Alex raised her brow. "The first thing we're going to do after this is buy food for your house."

"I _have_ food," Piper stated, unbuckling her seatbelt. "We just didn't stop having sex long enough to eat it."

"I'm not the one whose stomach is growling." Alex smirked. "I can live on sex alone."

Piper contained an eye roll.

Before Alex got out of the car, she covered Piper's hand with her own. "Wait on the porch while I go inside. If something goes sideways, which I don't think it will, I don't want you to be in the middle of it."

Piper squeezed her hand. "I'm already in the middle of it."

She brought Piper's hand up to her lips and kissed her fingertips before exiting the old Buick.

"Mom? I'm home." Alex walked through the living room and into the kitchen to find her mom with oven mitts on both hands.

"Hi, hon," Diane greeted. "Did your nose lead you here? I just took the lasagna out of the oven."

She sniffed the air as Piper looked on from the porch window. "Smells good." She cut to the chase, shoving her hands in her back pockets. "Mom, you know Piper no longer teaches at Newton, right?"

Diane removed the oven mitts. "Yeah, I know that."

"We haven't seen each other in three months."

She eyed her daughter and put her hands on her hips. "Why do I think the other shoe is about to drop?"

Alex lowered her gaze. "I ran into her last night at that gallery opening in Portland."

Her mom was silent until Alex met her eyes. "And?"

"And we…reconnected." An unintentional smirk appeared on Alex's face. "A lot."

Diane slammed her hand against the counter. "Damnit, Alex! You know the consequences of this shit!"

"Piper isn't my teacher any more—she hasn't been since the middle of December!" she shouted. "There's nothing wrong with the two of us being together!"

Diane had a concerned look on her face, but she didn't have a comeback.

Alex folded her arms. "Piper wanted to talk to you before we take things any further."

" _Piper_ wants to talk to me?" Diane jutted her head back. "Why?"

"She respects you, mom, and she wants me to do the same." Alex flicked her head to the side. "She's on the porch if you're willing to hear us out."

"She's _here_?"

Alex raised her eyebrows and gave her mom a straight-lipped smile, half-expecting Diane to refuse to allow Piper inside.

"Well, don't let her freeze out there!" Diane rushed to the front door and swung it open. "Get your ass in here."

"Hi, Diane." After smiling hesitantly at the older woman, Piper had the decency to hang her head.

"Hi, yourself." She crossed her arms. "What's going on here?"

Alex walked into the living room and stood next to her girlfriend.

"The last three months have been miserable," Piper began, swallowing the lump in her throat. "I meant it at Thanksgiving when I said that I care for your daughter."

Diane's eyes roamed from Piper to Alex, who took Piper's hand in hers.

"In fact, I'm in love with her." Piper closed her eyes, preparing for the backlash. When Diane didn't reply, she opened one eye.

"And I love her," Alex announced, squeezing her hand. "We're adults, mom, and as you know, we're four years apart. It's not like she's 40 or something."

"What's wrong with 40?" Diane jibed. She let out a long breath and became serious once again. "Look, I'm not going to tell you who you can and can't be with, Al. All I'm saying is that you need to be careful. Even though what you two are doing is legal, that won't stop the media from latching on to a story like this if word gets out."

Alex nudged her glasses with her free hand. "I highly doubt the media is interested in our relationship."

"Stories like this sell," Diane warned.

"We'll be inconspicuous until Alex graduates," Piper offered. "We won't hunker down at home, never to see the light of day, but we're also not going to put on public displays of affection."

Alex bumped her shoulder. "We won't?"

Piper pulled a look and continued. "I'm not asking for your permission, Diane; I'm here out of respect for you. We didn't want to have a secret relationship behind your back."

"I appreciate that," she replied, reaching out to touch Piper's arm. "I can see how much you like—"

"Love," Piper corrected.

" _Love_ my daughter." She smiled. "And as long as you're both smart about this, you're welcome in my home."

Piper took two steps forward, enveloping Diane in a tight hug. "Thank you."

Alex gave her mom an affectionate grin. "Now that we've settled _that_ , we're starving."

Diane released Piper with a tear hanging from her eyelid. She swatted it away and squeezed Piper's shoulders once more before turning on her heel and heading into the kitchen. "I hope you like lasagna. I just took this big, honkin' thing out of the oven." She turned the vent over the stove on. "We have enough to feed an army."

"I _love_ lasagna," Piper admitted, turning to take Alex's hand as they proceeded into the kitchen. "I love all Italian food, actually."

Alex kissed Piper on the cheek, and then opened the refrigerator. "Do we have anything green to eat in here?"

"There should be some lettuce and tomatoes," her mom replied, cutting into the warm lasagna. "Maybe a cucumber, too."

Piper helped Alex make a salad, while Diane dished up her homemade delicacy. The women talked about how they ran into each other the night before, then the conversation moved into Piper's graduate school program and Alex's art. She learned about both of Diane's jobs and that she'd made more tips at Friendly's that month than she had in the 10 years she'd been working there. Piper found that conversing with both Vauses was effortless—they were both excellent conversationalists—and while Diane was less sophisticated than her daughter, she was clearly well-read and informed about the latest happenings.

Piper ended up spending that entire Sunday afternoon at the Vause home, curled up on the sofa next to Alex and watching old movies. It wasn't until 8 p.m. when she announced that she should go home.

"Will you come with me?" she whispered in Alex's ear.

"Yeah." She smiled and kissed her on the temple. "Mom, I'm going to spend the night at Piper's." She stood and offered a hand to help her girlfriend to her feet.

Diane appeared a little uncomfortable with the idea, but she didn't argue. "I have the night shift at the motel anyway."

"Thank you for everything," Piper said, smiling down at Diane in her recliner. "I promise we'll be careful."

"Good." Alex's mom nodded. "Take care of each other."

"We will," Piper replied with a tender smile.

The night ended after they had three more rounds of sex until they fell fast asleep, limbs wrapped around each other in the king-sized bed.

* * *

For three months, Piper was more careful about her relationship with Alex than she'd been with anything else in her life. She didn't want to answer questions from curious parents or students at Newton who she'd occasionally run into around town, and she didn't want Alex to be ridiculed during her last semester of high school for dating a former teacher. So they laid low— _very_ low. They spent the majority of time at either Piper or Alex's house, and the only time they went out in public together was to meet Saroj and Maggie on the boat or at their home on Pine Point. Piper didn't even go to The Muddy Cup to study for fear of unintentionally "acting all in love," as she explained to Alex.

By the time mid-May rolled around, Alex was eager to graduate from high school, but Piper didn't go to the ceremony. It was just as well—she figured the headmaster at Newton wouldn't welcome her back, and it wasn't like she could suddenly throw her arms around Alex in the Quad and congratulate her on finishing that chapter of her life. They wouldn't be able to be out in public as a couple with the snap of a finger. Over time, Piper figured, people would forget that she even taught for one semester at Newton, and they wouldn't care if she was in a relationship with a Newton graduate, unless they simply didn't approve of same-sex couples.

As a graduation gift, Piper planned a trip to Cape Cod over Memorial Day weekend where they could be as _out_ as they wanted to be without fear of being caught. She couldn't wait to stroll down the street, hand-in-hand with Alex, and she knew that Alex was equally excited about showing off their relationship for all the world to see.

"Did you grab the sunscreen off the counter?" Piper locked the door and greeted an eye-rolling Alex in front of the car.

"In case you haven't noticed, I have an extremely pale complexion," Alex began as she took the keys and slid into the driver's seat of Piper's car. "If there is one thing I wouldn't forget, it's sunscreen."

"Just checking." She hopped into the passenger's seat, happy to let Alex take the wheel. "I'd hate for your delicate skin to get sunburned."

She put her hand on the back of Piper's headrest and looked behind her as she backed out of the driveway. "You'd get to rub aloe all over me if I did."

"I don't need you to be sunburned to rub lotion all over your body," Piper bit back. "In fact, I bought some edible massage oil that I can't wait to try."

"Don't make me pull over," Alex teased as she gripped the steering wheel.

They made their way down the coast, windows rolled down on that gorgeous May morning, each choosing a different radio station every 30 miles.

Their secret relationship notwithstanding, life with Alex had already been easy—they agreed on almost everything from the type of groceries to buy to what movie to rent on a rainy afternoon. Alex had all but moved in with her, but they'd yet to have a formal conversation about cohabitating. Piper knew that Alex was worried about her mom living alone, so she wanted to handle the situation carefully.

As for Alex's future, she didn't plan to go to college that fall. That was the one sore spot between them, but Piper was happy that she would at least still get to make art at Saroj's studio. Alex's artwork had a bit of a following after selling the tree sculpture, and she'd been commissioned to make several similar pieces for two Asian buyers. Saroj was convinced that if Alex continued to make high quality, unique pieces, she'd rake in a handsome sum over the next couple of years.

Piper enrolled in two summer classes and continued to TA for one of her professors. At the rate she was going, she'd finish her Master's degree after the fall semester. She knew she'd need to start looking for a teaching gig again, but she was leaning towards a Middle School environment with the possibility of doing more administrating than teaching.

Piper swiped the map on her phone. "It's the next street."

"You mean the one where the big, green sign says, _Beach Lane_?"

Piper gave her a look. "You've got a pocketful of smartass today, don't you?"

She put a hand on Piper's thigh. "Babe, you've mentioned Beach Lane at least five times since we got off the freeway. I've got it."

She linked their fingers and looked out the window. "Getting lost is my least favorite thing."

"I thought pastrami was your least favorite thing?" Alex squeezed her hand.

"Eating pastrami while getting lost would completely do me in." Piper chuckled. "There it is!" She pointed at the rainbow colored sign, announcing they'd arrived in Provincetown.

There were gay pride flags and signs all along the road, and Piper couldn't help smiling.

Alex glanced out of the side window. "This is officially the gayest town on earth."

"It's not actually," Piper explained, eating the last bite of a banana. "According to _Outtraveler_ , it's not even in the top ten."

"Since when do you read _Outtraveler_?" She smirked and released Piper's hand. "And it _will_ be once we get settled in."

The White Porch Inn was a quaint hotel located directly on the beach with the American flag hanging next to an Equality flag on the front lawn. Piper climbed the four steps, eager to check-in and see the room she'd paid a handsome fee to upgrade.

"Hi, we have a reservation under Chapman. Piper Chapman."

"Welcome to P-town and the White Porch Inn." A tall, thin man greeted them with two cookies with pink frosting. "My, you're a striking couple." He put his hand over his mouth. "Sorry, I just assumed…you _are_ a couple, right?"

"Yes," they responded proudly.

Alex smiled and gave Piper a satisfied look. Piper felt a sense of elation at being able to be out with Alex and to confirm that they were, in fact, a couple.

"Whew!" The man wiped his forehead flamboyantly. "I'm Anthony, and I'll be happy to help you with anything you need during your stay—the best beaches, dinner reservations, bicycle rentals—you name it."

"I think we're good for now," Piper replied, sidling up to Alex.

"Let's see, we have you on the second floor in the Sailor's Suite. I think you'll appreciate the view."

"Thank you." Alex flung one bag over her shoulder and carried the other. She reached for Piper's hand as they made their way to the stairwell.

Their corner room was bright and nautically-themed, and Piper dashed straight for the set of French doors, opening them to reveal the large balcony overlooking the beach.

She breathed in the thick, salty air. "Look at this view."

"The only view I'm interested in right now is between your legs." Alex swept her blonde hair aside and nipped at her neck.

"Alex!" She slapped her girlfriend's hand that had already begun crawling up her stomach. "You want to have sex right now?"

"Always, babe."

It had only been in the last month when Alex started calling her that, and Piper felt a prickle of excitement every time she heard the term of affection. She still found herself blushing at how much Alex wanted her and had a very difficult time turning her down. In fact, the only time she said _no_ was when one of them was on her period.

"I want to explore Provincetown," Piper whined, tilting her head instinctively as Alex kissed her neck.

"We will, I promise." Alex twisted her around on the balcony until they were facing each other. "After I explore your body."

"Wait." She held up her hand. "Let me put on my swimsuit first."

Alex lowered her hands in mock frustration. "I'm trying to get you _out_ of your clothes, not into them."

"You haven't seen me in this yet." Piper unzipped her bag, pulling out a bikini. "And maybe I'm overconfident here, but I'm going to take a wild guess and assume that as soon as I put this thing on, you're going to want to take it off, so let's get that out of the way, shall we?"

Alex ran a hand through her hair and sucked in a deep breath. "Well played."

"Turn around." She made a twirling motion with her index finger, and Alex faced the opposite wall.

"Why can't I look?" she complained.

She quickly removed her clothing, flinging her thong over Alex's shoulder. "When have I _ever_ stripped in front of you when you haven't had your hands all over me within ten seconds?"

Alex brought the underwear up to her nose and sniffed it. "You're fucking killing me."

She slipped into the hot pink bikini that tied on the sides, and then sauntered over to Alex, wrapping her arms around her waist and hooking her chin over one shoulder. "You can turn around now."

She put her hands on Piper's arms as she turned. " _Fuck_ ," came out in a hot breath.

Piper swayed into her. "Told you."

Their love making session lasted well over an hour, and if Piper wouldn't have demanded that they leave the room, she was convinced that Alex would've stayed in bed with her all day.

After she was physically satisfied, Piper pulled a turquoise and white Bandeau dress over her bikini. "Let's walk down to the beach. I'll read the travel guide to you and we can decide what we should do tomorrow."

"You expect me to believe that you only bought _one_ travel guide? This, from the woman who read an entire book about boating vocabulary before you took a spin around the bay." Alex slipped into her simple, black bikini. "And we both know you already have things planned for us tomorrow."

Despite having only been together as a full-fledged couple for three months, Piper was amazed at how well Alex knew her.

"I like to research stuff." She shrugged. "And even though I have _an idea_ about what we could do tomorrow, I value your input."

"What if I want to stay here all day and have sex?" Alex tested.

Piper pulled a face.

She tossed a white tunic over her neck and made her way over to Piper, kissing her shoulder. "Whatever you want to do tomorrow, I'm all in."

She was secretly touched by Alex's response, but she didn't let on. "You say that now, but if I suggest something that you really don't want to do, you're going to blame me for not having fun."

She tapped Piper's ass, and then walked towards the door. "Exactly."

They made their way down to the beach, which was cooler than Piper had expected. The breeze was enough to warrant staying in their cover-ups, and she could tell that Alex was none too pleased about that. Using Alex's thigh as a pillow, Piper laid perpendicular to her on a beach towel as she read the bookmarked parts of Lonely Planet's _Guide to Cape Cod_ aloud. When the sun shined too bright in her eyes, Alex used her hand to shield it.

After about an hour on the beach, the women grew sleepy, and took a nap under an oversized umbrella, tangled in each other as if they were in bed. As Piper drifted off to sleep, she thought she could get used to this.

That evening, they ate a lobster dinner at Mac's Fish House, relishing in the fact that they could hold hands or feed each other food without fear of being caught—it was a slice of heaven.

The next day they (Piper) decided to tour the Highland Lighthouse, visit the Pilgrim Monument, and hit the Provincetown Art Association & Museum. Piper forced Alex to show the curator photos of her artwork, and the older man seemed impressed. He requested that Alex either bring down one of her pieces or ship it, and if it drew attention, they could discuss a future installment.

After lunch, they strolled down Commercial Street, holding hands and admiring the hundreds of other gay couples enjoying the sunny May day. Piper bought saltwater taffy from Cabot's and Alex bought a Gay Pride t-shirt, teasing that she was going to get _Piper + Alex_ airbrushed on the back.

That night, Alex turned over in bed and tapped Piper's shoulder with her chin. "You know what I just realized?"

She rubbed Alex's arm almost instinctively. Sometimes when they were in bed together, Piper didn't know where her body ended and Alex's began. "Hmm?"

"Until this trip, I'd never stayed in a hotel."

Piper flipped over until she could look up at her. "Really?"

"Yeah." She tossed one leg over both of Piper's. "My mom and I never went on vacation. There were two summers in my early teens when we visited her sister in Vermont, but we stayed at her house."

"We should go on more trips, then. Hotels are fun."

"Having someone make the bed and clean the room every day is fun." Alex kissed her hairline, and Piper rolled back over into a spooning position.

The night before, they'd slept with the windows open, and that night was no different. Piper loved the sound of the waves crashing against the shore—they made her feel calm and rested.

"How long do you think we'll be together?" Although she hadn't vocalized that question until that moment, Piper had been wondering for some time what Alex's answer would be. She hadn't meant for it to come up in bed that night, but it just sort of slipped out without warning.

"What?" She laughed lightly. "Neither one of us can answer that."

Piper flipped onto her side again, shaking her hair over her shoulders. "We might not be able to answer it with certainty, but we can say what we hope."

She could see Alex blinking in the moonlit room. "Then that's a different question."

"What's your answer?" Piper pressed.

Alex turned her head on the pillow to face her. "Years, I hope."

"How many years?"

"I don't know." Alex smiled bashfully and let out a quick chuckle. "Fifty or sixty would be nice."

"Really?"

"I hope." She brought one of Piper's hands to her lips.

"Move in with me." Piper's eyes brightened as she made the offer she'd been dying to make since February.

With her smile still on display, Alex replied, "I already sort of live with you."

"Permanently," she stated. "I know you're worried about your mom, but she's doing great. If she needs help paying the bills, we can do that."

"She's been making enough money over the last six months to pay them without any problem."

"But if she _does_ need help…" Piper let that hang in the air to punctuate her commitment to Diane's well-being.

Alex slung her arm low on Piper's waist. "Living together is a big step."

She averted her eyes. "If you're not ready…"

"Don't be ridiculous." She lifted her chin with two fingers. " _Of course_ I want to live with you."

"Yeah?" She smiled, feeling every bit of joy that she thought she might in that moment.

"Yes." Alex leaned in for a chaste kiss.

"Good, now when can we discuss having babies?" Piper asked between kisses, only half-joking.

"Slow your roll, babe," Alex laughed against her mouth. "Let me turn 19 before we start planning who gets knocked up first."

"First? I like the sound of that."

The End

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Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading this story and providing such wonderful feedback!


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